Carpenter Family Coat-of-Arms, possibly Rhode Island, 18th century

This extremely rare oil on canvas coat-of-arms is inscribed “Captain Carpenter” in ink on the top stretcher and survives in its original pine molded giltwood frame. It appears to be by the same hand as a closely related oil on canvas coat-of-arms sold at Northeast Auctions on October 25, 2009, lot 158. That coat-of-arms bears the ink inscription “Capt Dyer” on the rear stretcher and also survives in its original giltwood frame that is identical to that of the Carpenter Coat-of-Arms. The Dyer coat-of-arms descended in the family of William Dyer, the Quaker founder of Rhode Island, until it was sold out of the family in 2009.

The Carpenter family is extensive in Rhode Island with William Carpenter being the first bearing the surname to settle is Providence, Rhode Island in 1637. For a similar oil on canvas coat-of-arms of the Inglis family in a related frame, see American Antiques from Israel Sack Collection, Vol. III, no. 1359.