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

A wonderful and strong American freehand watercolor on paper folk art theorem. Strawberries, apples, cherries, and pears, with their foliage, are depicted in bold colors with a whimsical style. They rest in a large bowl with a light brown tint (not stained).

In contrast to the creasing, heavy foxing and flaws that many examples of this type art have, the overall condition is excellent, with no tears and only a spot or two or discoloration...

A nicely done American folk art watercolor on paper profile portrait. The young man is wearing a blue-gray jacket and a white lacy cravat. Housed in an old gilded frame with a newer interior velvet liner. Framed size is 7 1/4 " by 7 1/4", and the sight size is 2 5/8" by 2 5/8". Excellent condition with no problems.

For several reasons, this is a very unusual basket. To start with a basic description, it is a very large (17" by 17" by 15 1/4"), square, covered splint basket from the Maine area, most probably made by the Penobscot Indian tribe. Many baskets of this type are of splint, colored with vegetable dyes. Some have the added design of potato stamped patterns on the splints.

This particular basket is done in vibrant tones of green, yellow, and natural brown...

A large and striking carnival gambling wheel, painted in vibrant yellow, red, black, and blue. In overall excellent condition, and has a support post and spinner. All divider nails are present. 35 inches in diameter.

A wonderful double sided smalt trade sign for D.M. Woodward, Doctor of Chiropractic. The gilded letters and the black smalt background are virtually intact and vibrant. The frame is original, and measures 28 3/4 inches by 14 inches by 2 inches deep. There is a small sliver out of the frame at one upper edge, and a small gap in the frame at the corner. Aside from these very minor flaws, the piece is in excellent condition.

In addition to being a wonderful piece of American folk art, this watercolor and pen and ink on paper gives some good insight into one of the courting customs of the 18th and 19th centuries...

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.

A vibrant and charming American folk art tinsel painting showing a variety of fruit and foliage in a white compote set upon a slab of marble. Wonderful condition, with a sight size of 12 inches by 15 1/4 inches, and a beautiful, non-period frame of 16 3/4 inches by 20 inches.

Showing the whimsy that exemplifies good American folk art, this watercolor double portrait depicts a young man and woman who are clearly siblings. The artist achieved a starkness by having them in black clothing and not accentuating the details of their garb. In fact, the basic touches of color are only the blue in the girl's eyes and in the sky against which they are posed. Note that neither sitter is gazing directly at the viewer, nor are they looking in the same direction...

This banneret weather vane, found in upstate New York, is constructed of sheet and wrought iron, and has an incredible presence and visual impact. Featuring a flag with a central cut-out, scrollwork on either side of the flag, and an ornate three dimensional flower blossom at the end, it exemplifies the whimsy that one looks for in great items of folk art.

The vane has a wonderful weathered and rough brown surface, and is in overall excellent condition...

This shaving box is a truly wonderful and unusual piece of Americana, and was used to hold and sharpen razors. It was not a common household object, and not many survived from the 18th century. Nina Fletcher Little discusses these charming boxes in her book, Neat and Tidy, and shows a similar example. This particular example is made from birch, and has chip carved saw-tooth edges, and, on three sides, scribed designs...

It is unusual to find such a striking multi-colored basket of such size and in such wonderful condition. The splint basket, with its wooden handle, is from the Northeast area of the United States, and is done in shades of blue-green, orange-red, and brown.

The basket is 18" long, 12" wide, and 14 " to the top of the handle. Overall condition is excellent, with only one splint split on the interior, not visible from the outside.

A fantastic display or collection piece.

This is a charmingly rendered watercolor on paper portrait of an attractive little girl, leaning against a hillock of red flowers amidst green foliage. The artist has chosen to omit details in the background, and, instead, draws the viewer's focus to the subject by limning her dress in a bright blue, and having her hold several flowers in her hand. The work possesses a whimsy and naivete that brings a smile to one's face, as good folk art often does...

A truly striking reverse-painted game board featuring a rainbow of colors and a highly unusual mottled border. In pristine condition, and housed in its original wood frame.

22" by 22" by 1 1/2" high.

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...

This painting epitomizes all the characteristics one looks for in a folk art portrait, including the whimsy that is so delightful. Note the vibrant colors, unusual treatment of anatomical features (the shortened arm, for example), and embellishments such as the chair, bonnet, shawl, book, and sheet music...

A fine oil on canvas portrait of a young woman in a brown dress and blue lace trimmed hat, with a column and red drape behind her. Stylistically, this would be from the Philadelphia School. Sight size is 30" by 24 1/2" and the overall size is 35 1/4" by 30". The portrait is in its original gilded frame, which is in very fine shape, with the normal minor nicks. The stretcher also appears to be original...

A fine painted gameboard painted with red numbers on black squares on a brown background. This type of gameboard was supposedly used for playing checkers games by mail, using the numbers to describe the piece positions; also possibly used for teaching checkers; size is 29 1/2" by 21" by 1 1/2". Excellent condition.