English Late Victorian Silverplate Biscuit Barrel

Lot description

English Late Victorian silverplate biscuit barrel, John Grinsell & Sons, Birmingham, late 19th/ early 20th c., swan-form finial, oak body with incised woodgrain texture, on three ball feet, lacking interior liner, approx 6"h, 6"diam, 1.5lbs Provenance: From the estate of Dorothy Jean McPhaul, whose small East Austin antique shop, Johnnie’s Antiques, has survived for generations despite rapid city expansion. McPhaul, a true lover of all things antique and a retired educator with a 40-year tenure at the LaGrange Public School system, personally collected African American memorabilia, jewelry, glassware, pottery, amongst other rare and fine antiques. Established by McPhaul’s grandfather, Simon Sidle, in 1918, Johnnie’s Antiques is among the last vintage properties on East 6th Street, and notable as one of the first black-owned businesses in Austin. After assuming proprietorship in 1999, Dorothy followed in the family tradition as a fixture of the Texas antique sale circuit.