Federal Period
Superb Early Locket with Miniature Painting of “Columbia”
c. 1790 American Federal Period, Pendant Style Locket with Hand-Painted Miniture on Natural Material of Lady Liberty, Gold-filled surrounding decoration, with its Loop and Convex Glass Cover Intact, Choice Near Mint.
This beautiful 1785 to 1800 Federal Period Patriotic Hand-Painted Miniature measures 7/8" x 1" Gold-filled Locket, which contains a historic Miniature upon a white natural material of Columbia, (much later known as Lady Liberty) standing, holding a Liberty Cap atop a Pole with her left hand and while holding the top edge of a Shield with her right, a Flag is seen draped in the background. This Hand-Painted imagery is placed under a convex glass cover, thus it is in great original condition. The feminine personification and allegory for the representation of the United States is sharp and clear in its fresh detail, enjoying excellent color and overall eye appeal. The highly ornate gold-fill outer design is quite special and uncommon for the period. An outstanding Early American Patriotic decorative Miniature Painting of “Columbia.”
The name “Columbia” used for "America" (in the sense of "European colonies in the New World") first appeared in 1738 in the weekly publication of the debates of the British Parliament in Edward Cave's “The Gentleman's Magazine.” The Roman name “Columbia” for America, at that time used in the sense of, "European colonies in the New World".

As the debates of Parliament, many of whose decisions directly affected the colonies, were distributed and closely followed in the British colonies in America, the name "Columbia" would have been familiar to the United States' founding generation. The name "Columbia" rapidly came to be applied to a variety of items reflecting American identity. After the 20th Century World Wars, the personification of “Columbia” fell out of use, and she has largely been replaced by Lady Liberty as a feminine allegory of the United States.