C. 1860s Geo. Scardefield Advertising Promotional Gold Leaf (Squirrel Hair) Brush mushroom sculpture with no chips or cracks

with no chips or cracks that I can see

I think it might be it

These continued to be produced for some years I believe

with just very minor loss in a few spots

Crazing and a couple of small chips

C. 1860s Geo. Scardefield Advertising Promotional Gold Leaf (Squirrel Hair) Brush mushroom sculpture with no chips or cracksI'm pretty certain the bristles here are squirrel hair, which continue to be used for applying gold leaf today. Established in 1833, George Scarderfield's at 335 W. 16th in Manhattan was "a dealer in all gilder's materials" which one would think would have made them quite successful as the century went on, as people really loved gold leafing things, but I can find no record of the business (Admittedly I have not dug very deeply.) In any event, quite a