HUGGING THE ARM! The handsome boy was snuggled into the corner of a padded fancy couch and cinched into place by that broad black belt with an enormous metallic buckle. His maker tightened it perfectly since the child doesn’t seem overly uncomfortable. H.B. King, stamped in the upper right corner of the brass mat worked first in Boston circa 1849-1851 then in Tauton MA until 1859. He was highly regarded and most of his extant sixth plate dags that have been resealed were well made, as we can observe in this wonderful example. What a costume the lad wore for his sitting. Do you think he laced up those shiny shoes all by himself. He carried himself with puffed up pride and confidence, that’s for sure! Past the furniture on the left, inside that wonderful flowing mat that mimics the contours of the boy’s curly hair are a tiny footstool and the baseboard at the back of the studio. The surface has an elegant finish. The only flaw I see is a slight abrasion on the kid’s wrist. The leather case is almost apart since the repaired spine has weakened badly.
