Quarter plate portrait ambrotype. N.p., ca. 1861–1862. Housed in a full embossed dark brown leatherette case.

An imposing early wartime portrait capturing a youthful Confederate private brandishing an outsized fighting knife. Posed three-quarter seated alongside a patterned studio balustrade or small pedestal, the soldier gazes forward with a resolute expression. He wears a simple, dark single-breasted fatigue jacket with a small fold-down collar. Held upright in his left hand is an enormous clip-point Bowie knife - its wide, intimidating blade extending past his chest.

Large side knives were virtually ubiquitous among early-war Confederate volunteers, who flocked to mobilization camps armed with whatever they could get their hands on, from locally forged blacksmith blades to imported English bowies.

Images of Confederate soldiers showcasing edged weapons of this scale remain among the most fiercely sought-after formats of Civil War portraiture.

[Ambrotype, Quarter Plate, Civil War, Confederate, CSA, Southern Soldier, Armed, Bowie Knife, Fighting Knife, Clip-Point Bowie, Battle Shirt, Solarization, Cased Image, 19th Century Photography, Militaria]

Fair condition overall. The ambrotype exhibits significant solarization, imparting an iridescent blue-green hue across the sitter’s face, hands, and upper torso, as well as scattered wipe lines and minor mat rubs.