Early Folk Art Carved Pipe of a Nude Torso Sitting in a Hand

Anonymous Folk Art Carvings

Recently sold at the March 28, 2009 Slotin Folk Art Auction.

"Jack Pot House" by Rass Potey

African advertising sign by Rass Potey.

1930's Composite Photo of Our Dearest Kitty

Bizarre 1930's composite photo of a man, his wife and their cat. Just plain weird....and we LOVE weird! Currently on eBay with out.of.frame.

1850 American Folk Art Painting of a Tiger

Nice circa 1850 folk art painting of a tiger, currently on sale on eBay.

Update: Sold for $2,250.00

Portraits in Miniature

The first image is a portrait ring, possibly made in prison, circa 1930's. The second is a very small tintype in an unusual bone carved frame, dated 1868.

1894 American Folk Art Carving of a Man in a Chair

Very nice folk art carving of a man in a chair, dated 1894, currently for sale on eBay.

The seller describes it as being recently found in an attic of a Victorian mansion in New England.

Someone still has a bit of disposable income...it's currently at $511.99 with 4 days left. Expect it to go higher than that for sure.

Update: Sold for $3602.00

A COUNTRY HOME ALONG "A CONTINUATION OF BROADWAY"

Fascinating anonymous photograph currently being auctioned by Sotheby's in their March 30th Photography auction.

One of the earliest known images of Manhattan, this daguerreotype shows a country home on what is now the Upper West Side.

Here's a small excerpt from Sotheby's description:

This half-plate daguerreotype of a country estate is believed to have been made in Manhattan in the 1840s and, as such, would be among the very earliest photographs of New York City extant. The daguerreotype shows in the foreground what is almost certainly the old Bloomingdale Road, referred to as 'a continuation of Broadway' in the city directories of the day. In the deep well of the road, to the left, is a horse-drawn carriage with passengers that has come to a halt for the photographer. In the middle ground is the lawn of an estate, planted with young evergreens surrounded by a fence. Beyond the rise of the lawn, in the background, is the top story of an unidentified house, with a rooftop balustrade and double chimneys on either end.

The date and location of the daguerreotype have been taken from a manuscript note, signed 'L. B.,' which was folded and placed behind the daguerreotype plate in its original leather case.

Click Here to read the rest...

3 things you can find in a barn...

Nathanial Segar is a seller on eBay. They specialize in selling traditional New England decorative arts made prior to 1840 including glass, ceramics, metals, wood, textiles and fine arts.

Among the images here are a great 1816 Pantry Box style canteen in old blue paint, a circa 1860 Lincoln stovepipe top hat made of beaver and a circa 1844 Jenny Lind style doll head.

Early Abstract Carnival Knockdown Figure

1930's Carved Man with the Blue Trousers and Red Stripes

19th Century Carnival Ball Toss Figure of a Hessian Soldier

Incredible, 19th century figure of a Hessian soldier used in a carnival midway game. Recently found and available from Tyler Doran at Heir Antiques.

Anonymous Carved Plaque of Two Little Boys

Something weird happens when you try to do portraiture in carved wood. I've seen a number of them in my time and I've never seen one that doesn't come away with a strange, almost sinister quality to it....almost like Han Solo being encased in carbonite!

Here's a fine example of just what I'm talking about...

The Positive and Negative of the Girl on a Magic Carpet

The remnants of a collaged photo that sadly never made it into the album. Looks like the idea was to be a magic carpet ride. Would have been nice to have seen it completed, but at least we get to enjoy this...

19th Century Tintype of Porcelain Dolls

My daughters like to take pictures of their favorite dolls and teddy bears. I think it's cute of course and hey, it's a digital camera....they can take as many photos as they want.

Here's a nice tintype that shows the desire of little girls hasn't changed in over 100 years.

1930's Anonymous Bathing Beauty Carvings

These carvings were recently found in Defiance, Ohio. They were made by an anonymous artist with most of the carvings being the subject of bathing beautys (the largest being 26" tall). I was lucky enough to get a few of them.

Heir Antiques, Providence, Rhode Island

A lot of people's conception of displaying American Folk Art might still be rooted in a very contextual idea of placing the pieces within the same historical style and setting. Nothing wrong with that at all, but there have recently been some great interior designers that find some incredible juxtapositions between say, American industrial with African tribal with Mid-century Modern.

One of those designers is Tyler Doran. His site, Heir Antiques, has some incredible objects for sale and a lot of examples of what he can do for your (or at least my) design-challenged interior. His shop is located in Providence, Rhode Island:

Heir Antiques
65 Eddy St.
Providence, Rhode Island 02903-1702

Pay him a visit if you're in the area!