Antique Identified Silhouette Miniature Portrait Pair Husband & Wife Early 19thC For Sale

DESCRIPTION OVERVIEW

Offered for sale is a beautiful, museum-quality matched pair of 100% original Federal-era American folk art silhouettes. They depict Noyes Carleton and his first wife, Nancy T. Adams, of Reading, Massachusetts. These portraits were almost certainly created as a betrothal or wedding token around the time of their marriage on May 18, 1815.

Both silhouettes feature masterful hollow-cut execution backed by premium woven black silk fabric. Because Nancy passed away young in 1834—long before the commercial dawn of photography in the 1840s—this silhouette represents the only physical likeness of her face that will ever exist.

COUPLE BACKSTORY & FAMILY HIGHLIGHTS

• Revolutionary War Heritage: Noyes Carleton was the son of Samuel Carleton Jr. (1750–1843), a dedicated patriot from Boxford, MA who marched on the historic Lexington Alarm of April 19, 1775, and later guarded West Point in 1780 during Benedict Arnold\'s treason.

• The Adams Surname Connection: Nancy T. Adams descends directly from the prominent early colonial line of Robert Adams of Newbury, a family deeply rooted in early Massachusetts civic and military leadership.

• Prominent Next Generation: The children of this exact couple went on to achieve immense success in the 19th-century global lumber export and shipping industry based out of New York, establishing a high-society lineage whose descendants filled the ranks of the Sons of the American Revolution.

PROVENANCE

These historical silhouettes were acquired directly from the historic coastal estate of Susan Kearney, located at 70 Caesar\'s Rd, Duxbury, Massachusetts. This incredible provenance proves that these family heirlooms remained tightly held and cared for within local, historic Massachusetts lines for over two centuries before reaching the market.

• Frame Dimensions: Approximately 5 1/8\" by 4 1/8\" on both silhouettes.

• Frame Thickness: Approximately 5/16\" thick.

• Sizing Note: Due to their hand-crafted nature, there are very slight frame dimension variances in width on the millimeter scale, but both fall tightly into the range given above.

• Interior Window Dimensions: Both visible image sizes measure approximately 4.25\" by 3.25\".

• Backing Inscriptions: Noyes\'s wood backing features original period iron-gall ink script reading \"Noyes Carleton, Reading Mass\" with later pencil vital dates. Nancy\'s backing reads \"Silhouette of Nancy Adams, 1st wife of Noyes Carleton, Reading Mass\" along with pencil wedding/death dates and an old dealer tag.

CONDITION REPORT

• Overall Grade: Both silhouettes are in great, honest antique condition with a stunning natural patina, housed in original frames & glass.

• Frame Wear: Displays beautiful, age-expected wear from environmental changes over 200+ years. Noyes\'s frame shows a minor, stable miter joint lift on the top-right edge near the hanger, with a matching minor veneer separation line/flake on the bottom edge. Nancy\'s frame shows similar charming, organic age-lines along the seams. None of this wear affects frontal viewing or structural safety.

• Backing & Stabilization: It appears that both hand-planed wood backings have been stabilized/reinforced in the past and are currently secure for transit. However, because wood naturally expands and shrinks over the decades, getting them professionally reinforced or sealed down the line is suggested for long-term conservation.

• Textile Condition: The rich black silk backing remains deep and vivid. Along the right-hand edge of Nancy\'s backing board, a small amount of the historic black silk fabric is slightly protruding from the seam.

Please review all photos provided for references and as part of the overall item description. If you have any questions or would like more photos feel free to reach out. Thanks for looking!!