Philadelphia Antiques Show 2016_

✷ 129 ✷ FROM THE COLLECTION OF… FROM THE COLLECTION OF… JAMES L. KOCHAN JAMES L. KOCHAN FINE ART & ANTIQUES, FREDERICK, MD e Only Extant, Enlisted Uniform of the Mexican Army, 1846–1848 I rst learned of this coat’s existence in 1983, when a descendant of the Tennessean who brought it home as a war souvenir sent images of it to the Texas State Archivist. He, in turn, forwarded copies to me for identi cation. At the time, I was a museum curator engaged in research on the material culture of the Texas Revolution and Mexican War. I had yet to encounter one surviving example of clothing worn by the common soldiery of the Mexican Army of that era—that is, until that fortunate day. I couldn’t believe what I saw—an enlisted man’s coat of the elite 4th Light Infantry Regiment! Raised in 1846, the 4th Ligero’s battle honors include Monterey, Buena Vista, and Churubusco, where its men fought like lions in defense of their native soil. Subsequent attempts to track the coat’s whereabouts met with no luck and I had given up hope of ever seeing it. In 1998, I left the museum eld to become a dealer and, 7 years later, I serendipitously attended an antiques show in Louisville. While gazing across the vast hall, I recognized the uniform the moment a dealer put it on a form. Rushing over, I literally camped out in his booth until we nally reached an agreement and the coat came home with me. In addition to being a “missing link” in the study of Mexican military dress, it is also of seminal importance in understanding the textile traditions of that nation. My association with the 4th Ligero coat spans nearly my entire adult life and both of my chosen careers, as well as being representative of a lifelong passion for the study of early American costume and textiles. KELLY KINZLE KELLY KINZLE ANTIQUES NEWOXFORD, PA Philadelphia Tall Case Clock Circa 1750 Over the years I have put together collections that re ected my current interests. Forty years ago I sold my cast iron toy collection to put a down payment on my rst property. Later, I collected brass dial clocks, which I sold to fund my collection of ghting memorabilia. I sold that to begin a collection of Kentucky ri es and tomahawks. In the last six years I have become interested in antique cars. I have always admired this clock for its rarity. Although the name plate is missing, it is a Joseph Wills clock in a uniques Philadelphia bombé case. Truly one of a kind, it predates most New England bombé forms. e noted antiquarian Charles Sterling initially discovered this clock and it passed through his estate and eventually into my hands. I have always considered it a superb early piece of Philadelphia history.