Catalog: Antiques: Decorative Art: Folk Art (96)

A very fine twig basket, dating from the late 19th or early 20th century. It was found in Pennsylvania, and is painted black, with the border and edge decoration painted in green, yellow, and orange over the black. The interior central portion of the basket is painted in green.

The basket is 8 5/8" in diameter and 4" tall. Condition is terrific, with no breaks...

A fine American tinsel or foil painting depicting a wreath of flowers, with a bird, around a grouping of fruit and foliage. The wreath is on a variation of the relatively rare "snowflake" type of background. This technique appears to have been done primarily in the 1870's period. The frame and wooden backboard are original.

There is a crack in the glass at the top left, and a small piece of glass is missing...

A striking and colorful painting on silk of a signet ring with, not surprisngly, the word "Signet" and the date 1870; period frame; 11 1/4" by 9 1/2" framed size, 8 1/2" by 6 1/2" sight size

A sweet tinsel (foil) painting of a large bouquet of flowers. The painting itself is in very good condition, with no chips, breaks, or image loss. The period or earlier gilded wood frame has normal expected wear. Period wood backboard. The sight size is 11 1/4" by 9 5/8", and the overall size is 12 3/4" by 11".

NOTE: Between September 12, 2012 and January 13, 2013 the American Folk Art Museum held an exhibit on this art form...

A charming watercolor on paper of a house amid a group of trees, signed "JDT" and dated 1896. Excellent condition. Sight size 8 1/4" by 5 3/4".

A wonderful cutlery tray, probably of Vermont origin, made around 1840. What makes it so exceptional is the decoration, closely akin to "vinegar painting." Red paint was put on a yellow base, and a solvent added. This made the combination of colors run together, producing a somewhat mottled effect.

Another notable point is that the tray is in excellent condition, with no cracks or breaks. The paint is all original and untouched, with a nice dry surface...

A nicely decorated document box featuring red and black grain painting, the edges with yellow and green striping.

The box is 13 1/4 inches in length, 7 1/4 inches in depth, and 6 1/2 inches tall. Overall condition is excellent, with no cracks or breaks, and virtually all of the original, unrestored paint is present. The lock and hinges are original and in fine shape. There is the normal amount of wear along some of the box edges.

A charming oil on cardboard American folk art painting of a white clapboard house with a red porch, set amidst trees and greenery. Overall very fine condition with some truly minor scuffs. The gilt frame is period. Sight size is 16 inches by 12 inches.

This is an extremely unusual American 12 tube candle mold, made of tin and painted black. I have seen many candle molds in my time, but don't recall ever seeing one with the type decoration that this one has. The front and side have charming and whimsical squiggles of gold paint.

Overall condition is excellent, with the usual spots of paint loss and wear, and some nicks to the base. All the tubes are present, all the paint is original, and there have been no repairs...

An uncommon tinsel, or foil, painting on glass. Extremely vibrant, with deep colors, the painting shows a bluebird surrounded by a variety of fruit, with a compote of fruit behind it. It is rare to have a foil scene without a lot of open space between subjects.

The painting is in excellent condition, as is the later frame, which measures 16 1/4" by 13 1/4".

An absolutely charming group of small schoolgirl paintings of animals, soldiers, plants, etc., mounted together and presented in three period gilt frames. The back of each framed group indicates that these were all done around 1840 by Miss E. Green of Pennsylvania.

The condition is generally very good, with some rippling to the paper. The frames have expected wear but display well...

An absolutely charming hooked rug depicting a 3 masted sailing ship flying 4 different flags; mounted on stretched fabric over a frame; 36" by 24"

In very good condition except for a few minor pulls at the edges, whuch are easily and cheaply repaired.

A charming tinsel (foil) painting depicting a variety of flowers in an urn placed on a stone slab. Dating from the last half of the 19th century, the painted frame, worth a bit of money on its own, is likely earlier, with a wood backboard The painting is in fine condition, with only some very small minor speckles in the black background. The frame could use a little spiffing up. Sight size is 9 1/2" by 13 1/2", and the framed size is 13 1/4" by 17 1/8".

A totally charming box from, and decorated in the style of, Snyder County, Pennsylvania; grain painted with gilt and gray highlights; polychrome stencil painting of fruit on top; terrific painted keyhole escutcheon; 9 1/2" by 6 1/2" by 5 1/4"

Top has scrapes and scratching, but 99% of the paint is still intact, and the uncommon nature of the overall decoration on this piece far outweighs the damage

An unusual foil, or tinsel, painting depicting two birds hovering over a large flowering plant. The painting is done basically in tones of taupe and green. The frame is period and is most likely original. The back is sealed with paper that appears to have been a student's calligraphy practice.

Condition is very good, with some very minor paint separation at some points on the edges. The grayish areas in the painting are shadows from when the photograph was taken...

A fine tinsel, or foil, painting. The relatively uncommon subject matter is a basket of fruit, nicely reverse painted on glass with tinsel backing. What unfortunately doesn't show well in the photo, because of the lighting, is the bunch of grapes directly under the basket.

The painting is in very good condition, with what is probably its original gilded frame and wood backing. The overall size is 16" by 14".

A fine and charming watercolor on paper portrait of a mother and daughter, the daughter with a book and an apple. Sight size is 5 3/4 inches by 4 1/4 inches, while the framed size is 9 5/8 inches by 8 inches.

The portrait is in excellent condition, although the photos exaggerate some very minor toning. The bird's eye maple frame, which is not new and might be original, is also in excellent condition.

A charming rural scene, embroidered and painted on silk. Excellent condition with period frame. 15" by 12 1/2"