Candler Arts

Booth finally put together

2012-02-01T19:35:00.000-08:00

After two days, I finally got my Tailgate-Music Valley Antiques Show booth together enough to photograph. My set up would best be described as plodding. While other dealers who do show after show checked out each other's merchandise, I sweated over track lighting instructions. I was one of the first ones to arrive at the venue and one of the last ones to leave; all part of learning on the job, I kept telling myself. I sold a few things during set up and traded for a terrific drawing. On Thursday the public arrives. The show, at the Hendersonville Expo Center outside Nashville, runs until Saturday.

Trotting off to Nashville

2012-01-29T11:12:00.000-08:00

Just got the truck, which I'm packing with the odd, the offbeat, the beautiful to take to the Tailgate-Music Valley Antique Show. The show opens Thursday at 9 a.m. and continues until 5 p.m. Saturday. Adding to the excitement is the new venue -- the Hendersonville Expo Center, 90 Volunteer Drive, Hendersonville, Tenn. But even if the show were in a cornfield, it would be exciting for me because this will be my first time setting up. The Heart of Country show, about 15 miles from Hendersonville, will take place simultaneously at the Opryland Hotel. Together, the two events are going to draw art and antiques lovers from around the country. The exposure for a dealer like me, who has relied solely on the internet, can't be beat.

Paul Markle's box

2012-01-25T04:55:00.000-08:00

Mr. Markle disclosed on this box where he lives and that he likes to fish and tipple on occasion.

Walnuts chair

2012-01-23T05:02:00.000-08:00

A child's chair decorated with nailed on walnut shells and some smaller shells. The back slats have painted decoration. 25 inches tall, 15 inches wide and 13 inches deep, it's from Wisconsin, early 20th century. A neat example of what a creative person can do when scraps normally discarded are reused.

White fox

2012-01-21T05:36:00.000-08:00

Possibly part of a tavern sign, circa 1900, according to Ken Farmer Auctions. The carved wood fox, from New York State, will be auctioned next weekend. I like that it's just one color, except for the black feet. Is it supposed to be an arctic or snow fox? The Hudson Valley is not exactly the tundra, but perhaps the business was called the Snow Fox Tavern.

The Metro Show opens today

2012-01-19T05:45:00.000-08:00

The Metro Show in New York is noteworthy because of its diversity of high-end offerings, from historical items to outsider art. The three objects pictured here are what I would buy if I were more successful at making money. From top are a hardware store figure from Stephen Score, an African-American desk/secretary from Ricco Maresca, and a sheet metal cowboy trade sign from American Primitive Gallery. The show closes on Sunday.

$50,000 and up

2012-01-18T20:23:00.000-08:00

At the Peter Brams Collection of Important Woodlands Indian Art auction on Tuesday, the three items pictured here each sold for $50,000 and higher (before the house fee). The first two photos show the Thompson Family seated human effigy feast ladle, Algonquian, first half 18th century. The ladle was found decades ago in the basement of the Alexander Thompson homestead in Thompson Ridge, Orange County, N.Y. Hammer price: $55,000. The maple burl effigy bowl, Sauk-Fox/Mesquikie, circa 1820, 4 inches high, 13 1/8 inches in diameter, sold for $50,000. The figured maple lynx/bobcat effigy ladle, shown in the last two photos, Great Lakes, circa 1780, sold for $72,500. All information gleaned from the Keno Auctions online catalog.

John Gerdes faux marquetry tray

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

John Gerdes was a folk artist from Maitland, Fla., who combined electronics and precise painting to make distinctive work. The Smithsonian American Art Museum collection includes a Gerdes painting, and the Mennello Museum of American Art owns several Gerdeses. Michael Mennello commented in the Gerdes obituary published in the Orlando Sentinel 11 years ago this month that Gerdes "will go down in history as one of the major 20th century artists." I visited Mr. Gerdes in the 1990s and bought this trompe l'oeil tray. He painted it in 1936 while living in Cleveland. At the time Mr. Gerdes was in his early 20s. He died Jan. 3, 2001 at age 87.

Old clay mask mold

2012-01-13T04:09:00.000-08:00

Thick earthenware used to make a Halloween mask?

Native-American club, ex Peter Brams

2012-01-11T05:45:00.000-08:00

On Jan. 17, Keno Auctions will sell the Woodlands Indian art collection of Peter Brams, a New York collector. The collection features bowls, effigy ladles, etc. made by Native Americans who lived east of the Mississippi River. Particularly interesting to me are catalog photos of Mr. Brams' apartment, crammed with those artifacts (and a pair of yellow railroad lanterns he bought from me). The club pictured here also belonged Mr. Brams, which I acquired on trade with a New York gallery. Mr. Brams said it was made by the Delaware Indians (named after the Delaware River, a major river in the Northeast that forms a border between New York and Pennsylvania). The Delaware, also called the Lenape, were pushed off their land and now live primarily in Oklahoma. Before Mr. Brams owned the club, Raymond Saroff owned it. He was a pioneering folk art collector and early fan of the artist Claes Oldenberg. Mr. Saroff made the 1962 film "Happenings," about Oldenburg's "Ray Gun Theater," held in a New York store.

You Happy Puppet

2012-01-07T21:01:00.000-08:00

The title is from a 10,000 Maniacs song. "When the master's gone you hang there with your eyes and your limbs so lifeless." I dunno. This guy looks alive to me. I just obtained a stand for him, so he agreed to have his portrait taken. The puppet will accompany me to the Tailgate-Music Valley Antique Show Feb. 2-4.

Dressed for the cold or a holdup

2012-01-05T18:39:00.000-08:00

Have ski masks ever been cool? When I was a youngster in upstate New York, I wore a knit ski mask on a few frigid days, until I was told I looked like a dork. Better to have my face fall off than suffer those insults. The design on the mask in the top photo is interesting -- it looks like war paint. And the man's tongue is peeking out through the mouth opening, adding to the cold warrior look. The contemporary masks seem to concede there is no looking cool wearing this thing, so let's be ridiculous. Turn every frigid day into Halloween. Just don't forget how you look when you go to the bank.

Savannah and Tybee Island

2012-01-02T15:46:00.000-08:00

We spent the New Year's weekend 250 miles away from our home, in Savannah and on Tybee Island. My favorite statue in Savannah might be one of the newest -- the stiff looking, stainless steel Police Officers Monument, which dates only to 1982. The model for the 5-foot, 8-inch statue was patrolman R.I. Ketterman. The idea for the statue was hatched in 1963 when the president of the Police Officer's Wives Association promised the widow of a recently slain officer that Savannah police killed in the line of action will be publicly remembered. A storefront church window in the historic district, decorated by a self-taught painter, diverted my attention from the beautiful architecture. On Sunday, hundreds of people gathered on the beach for the annual Polar Plunge, which wasn't very polar, with temperatures in the 60s. Guinness World Records was on hand to determine whether the number of people wearing bathing caps was a world record. The result will be announced later in the year. Others at the beach went above and beyond in their attire and simply basked in the attention of shutterbugs like me.

19th century caricature head

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

10 inches tall, it sold for $1,900 at Copake Auction in Copake, N.Y., on New Year's Day.

Oversize wood parade masks from Nebraska

2011-12-30T05:51:00.000-08:00

These masks are from a Nebraska carnival that closed in the 1950s. A collector in Lincoln, Neb., bought them at auction in the 1970s and kept them until recently. Each face is made of early plywood and about 2 feet high and 16 inches wide, so much bigger than a real face. Including the stakes, they're roughly 4 feet tall. I would guess the age to be 1920s. I like the primitive, outsider look. Kids must have been frightened.

Eyes closed

2011-12-28T05:12:00.000-08:00

Two eyes-closed photos recently on eBay. Love them for different reasons. The well-dressed woman stands at attention in an odd setting, behind a chicken fence with a chicken near her feet. The sitting man blends into the background and miraculously does not break the dark line.

I got a goat

2011-12-26T05:55:00.000-08:00

I got a goat for Christmas. Sort of. My wife, Moni Basu, purchased the animal in my honor through Heifer International so villagers somewhere in the world can enjoy milk, cheese, butter and yogurt, and fertilize their gardens with goat manure. Goats also produce two to three kids a year, allowing small dairies to flourish. Thanks Moni and Heifer International.

Our Glorious Banner

2011-12-24T07:37:00.000-08:00

A painted wood plaque honoring Florence Earle Payne, president in 1905 of the Gouverneur, N.Y., chapter of the Woman's Relief Corps, an organization established in 1883 whose mission is to "perpetuate the memory of the Grand Army of the Republic." Edward John Noble, the co-founder of Life Savers who bought the formula for the candy in 1913, also was from Gouverneur, in case you didn't know. In 1906, Mrs. Payne wrote to the New York State Senate: "When the last veteran has unbuckled his knapsack and laid down to rest beneath the bright stars and broad stripes of our glorious emblem of freedom, then the Woman's Relief Corps will mark his resting place with fragrant garlands and carry on the work of patriotic education so well founded by the Grand Army." In February, Antiques Roadshow aired an appraisal of a circa 1910 quilt made up of about 100 W.R.C. convention ribbons. It was valued at $1,000-$1,500. The W.R.C. still exists. The current national president is Cindy Norton of Wellington, Ohio. The plaque honoring Mrs. Payne is dated Nov. 18, 1905. In 1917, Mrs. Payne wrote the 16-page historical treatise "Souvenir of Black Lake: A story of the past and present." Black Lake is a remote area in upstate New York near the St. Lawrence River and Canada.

Mysterious portrait posts

2011-12-20T05:04:00.000-08:00

Seven figural soft wood posts, circa 1900, around 16 inches tall, that sold earlier this year at a Skinner auction. They depict men and women and each one has a black painted boot bottom. Their purpose, if they had one other than to look cool, is unknown to me. The pre-auction estimate, $400-$600, turned out to be a bit off. They sold for $2,450.
* I have subsequently learned that these might be 19th century bowling pins.

Sitting on Santa's lap

2011-12-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

Our friends make reservations so their children can get lap time with Santa at the mall. Old photos attest to the fact that I sat on Santa's lap, too, although truth be told I don't remember it. Maybe that's for the best. Looks like Santa here indulged in some eggnog. That's not me in the photo.

This could be an interesting hour

2011-12-15T05:34:00.000-08:00

Next Thursday, Dec. 22, Independent Lense will show The Woodmans, the story of a family of artists that suffered the death of perhaps its most gifted member, the 22-year-old photographer Francesca Woodman. Over a period of about eight years, Francesca shot thousands of black and white photos, many showing herself and other women. In January 1981, three months shy of her 23rd birthday, she ended her life by jumping out of a building in Manhattan. Francesca's parents are George and Betty Woodman. Her brother, Charles Woodman, is an electronics artist. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is showing Francesca's photographs until Feb. 20. The Marian Goodman Gallery in New York sells her work.

Personality difference

2011-12-13T04:55:00.000-08:00

A photo c. 1960 that makes abundantly clear who the ham is in the family.

North Carolina farm mailboxes

2011-12-10T14:48:00.000-08:00

Steel mailboxes that for years stood along a rural road in central North Carolina. Howard Sheffield and Claudia L. McLeod opened and closed these boxes countless times. Howard's box seems to be the deluxe version; it contains an attached metal box for stamps.

Carnival knockdown

2011-12-06T05:26:00.000-08:00

This is a ball toss target once owned by the pioneering folk art collectors Isobel and Harvey Kahn. Mr. Kahn was on the American Folk Art Museum collections committee and was a founding member of the American Folk Art Society. The Kahns displayed their collection in the Hessian House in Millburn, N.J., built in the 1730s. The month after I acquired this sculpture, Mr. Kahn died at age 86. You can read his obit here.

Winterton

2011-12-03T16:22:00.000-08:00

A painting signed Susan Tucker, 1947. It shows the corner of Hampton and Winterton streets in the northeast Pittsburgh neighborhood of Highland Park. Today, if you look at a Google satellite photo of that intersection, it's concealed under heavy tree canopy. As we slide toward Christmas and the new year, the name Winterton will seem spot on.

Deathly white tintype portrait

2011-11-30T17:47:00.000-08:00

Full plate painted tintype, 8.6 inches by 6.6 inches, found in a multidealer shop in rural Florida. Good chance she's a northern transplant.

Strawberry harvest

2011-11-29T05:15:00.000-08:00

While driving near Plant City, Fla., this past weekend I came upon a group of migrant workers picking strawberries. All day long they are bent over as they pluck the berries and put them in plastic trays. By day's end, their backs must be pretty sore. Without these workers who travel great distances the fruit would rot in the fields and I wouldn't have easy pickings at the supermarket. But in my home state, Georgia, and in neighboring Alabama, elected officials have passed strict anti-immigration laws that could be devastating to agriculture, the green industry (landscaping), and Atlanta's convention business, which pumps millions of dollars into the local economy. The ugly truth is the folks who passed these laws are not a diverse group; they're white and mostly male. If the field workers were caucasians from Canada rather than brown Mexicans, none of those politicians would care. A federal court will decide next year whether portions of both states' laws are legal. Let's hope the court recognizes the discrimination that's scaring away these valuable workers and hurting our country, and strikes parts of those laws.

Shriners parade

2011-11-25T06:47:00.000-08:00

A UPI press photo from 1954 showing people watching a Shriners parade where the marchers are wearing lights. Because of the camera's time exposure, the marchers themselves are invisible and the viewers look like they just rose from the dead. This strangely beautiful photo sold for more than $200 on eBay (soxphotos).

Nelson Mandela in sawdust

2011-11-23T05:34:00.000-08:00

Two years ago this month, the U.N. honored Nelson Mandela by designating July 18 as Nelson Mandela International Day. I don't know if the artist Archie Byron (d. 2005) ever met Mandela, but he was certainly inspired by him. Nineteen years before the U.N. bestowed its honor, Byron made this sawdust portrait of the great South African leader, now 93. The year was 1990 when Mandela's 27 years of imprisonment came to an end. Byron owned a gun shop and was a local leader, serving on the Atlanta City Council. But it turns out his greatest gift to the public is what he did with the gunstock waste on the floor of his shop. A brief YouTube video shows the artist at work.

Bird dogs

2011-11-19T14:30:00.000-08:00

These fluffy guys are for sale on eBay (audee17), and I suspect they will fetch quite a bit of money.

Hurry, closes Saturday

2011-11-18T05:20:00.000-08:00

White Columns gallery in New York is showing the work of Prophet Royal Robertson, who lived in Louisiana and made wildly emotional, othewordly posters, many of which attack his former wife, Adell. The show, called No Proud Bastards, closes Saturday. The New York Times published a short review. I'm fortunate to own the Royal Robertson pictured here.

Big doughboy cookie cutter

2011-11-17T06:03:00.000-08:00

Doughboys were American soldiers who fought in World War I. In WWII they were G.I.'s. This cookie cutter, slightly taller than 16 inches, obviously plays with the word. The dough this soldier cut made a cookie big enough to feed more than one doughboy.

Broad shouldered man

2011-11-15T04:53:00.000-08:00

Tintype showing a man whose smallish head and biggish torso don't seem to go together.

Root angel

2011-11-13T05:59:00.000-08:00

A friend bought this art brut root angel at an auction, part of a box lot.

Bisque doll in her old dress

2011-11-11T05:28:00.000-08:00

This doll is tiny, just 2.6 inches tall. Its arms move. The dress is pretty drab, but I wonder if at one time it had some color.

Bridesmaids

2011-11-08T16:17:00.000-08:00

I'll bet these outfits have remained in storage for as long as the couple has been married, maybe longer. A snapshot that recently sold on eBay (reeneeq).

Outsider erotic totems

2011-11-06T07:59:00.000-08:00

The story I was told is that these strange, stylized carvings came out of a lodge or club in Pennsylvania. Some club. The taller one (12 inches) has brads for nipples.

Cartoony molds

2011-11-03T04:36:00.000-07:00

The second one looks to me like it might be a gorilla or an angry dog. They're from a New York factory.

Caricature doorstop

2011-11-01T05:03:00.000-07:00

Painted wood, 1930s, 6 inches tall, 5.25 inches wide.

Strange visitors

2011-10-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

When the doorbell rings, have candy.

The Nashville antiques show

2011-10-29T06:13:00.000-07:00

Dropped by the Tailgate Antique Show on Saturday, which was smaller than usual but promises to be much bigger come February in its new home at the Hendersonville Expo Center. That got Candler Arts excited enough to sign up as an exhibitor. At the show's soon-to-be-former home at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds we snapped a few photos of what was for sale.
1. and 2. Cast iron string holder, c. 1860, $1,900, and whirligig from Vermont, 1875-85, $1,250, Higganum House Antiques, Higganum, Ct.
3. and 4. Tourist Rooms, $750, big putty knife, $950, and fishing painting, Nancy and Craig Cheney Art and Antiques, Newark, Ohio.
5. and 6. Kentucky quilt dated March 20, 1893, showing a child kneading dough (?), among other things, $900, Props, Mountain Pleasant, Tn.
7. Cut paper memorial (detail) for a woman who was born March 31, 1868, and died Dec. 16, 1901. American & European Antiques, Ltd., Evansville, Ind.
8. and 9. Double-sided painting on metal, c. 1940s, found in a barn in Plymouth, Indiana, $595, Jonathan's Fine Art & Antiques, Burr Oak, Ind.

Marriage, a sacred institution

2011-10-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

25 years. That's a long time to be married, a milestone worth noting. A sign with applied wood letters marks the silver anniversary of a couple married in 1925. A silver anniversary snapshot from 1938 looks like a shrine or an altar.

Pale riders

2011-10-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

Deathly horsemen. Are they ghosts? Circa 1900.

Stuck diver

2011-10-08T05:02:00.000-07:00

A snapshot that recently sold on eBay (saratogastash).

A man and his bovine

2011-10-06T05:18:00.000-07:00

They seem to have paused for the artist on their way to the barn. Only an English gentleman farmer could dress that well. Even though agriculture is pretty much in the background for many people today, bovines remain a popular subject for artists. Check out bovineartgallery.com for contemporary images. "Our objective is to promote established and emerging artists in various disciplines who share our passion for bovine culture," the site says.

An American Legend

2011-10-03T05:33:00.000-07:00

Harley-Davidson was started before World War I and grew to be emblematic of the American motorcycle. The 1953 film "The Wild One" with Marlon Brandon solidified the coolness of Harleys. Brando's character was based on the leader of the actual 13 Rebels motorcycle club, Shell Thuet. The last photo shows Ardin Van Sycle, another 13 Rebels member (thanks The Selvedge Yard blog). The painting on wood pictured here, from the collection of a South Carolina Harley buff, might date to the 1950s, as well, judging from the extensive crackalure. Anybody know the model?

Two wild and crazy guys

2011-09-30T05:55:00.000-07:00

An old snapshot that plays with light and shadow.

Southern sheriff on the hunt

2011-09-27T04:53:00.000-07:00

A large painting (30.6 inches by 40.6 inches) showing a flag-waving sheriff with bloodhounds, apparently hunting for someone. My guess is it dates to the 1950s. If he's defending freedom, who is the quarry?

African-American male, female andirons, c. early 1800s

2011-09-24T05:20:00.000-07:00

These male and female andirons with curved, sword-like arms are possibly from west Tennessee. "The two near diminutive figures, male and female, with their strict form and rigid stance communicate aggressiveness and a coded resistance," according to an appraisal by Jimmy Allen, a dealer who concentrates on African-American material. The female andiron is slightly smaller than the mate and has a smaller head, and it has a notch between the legs. They are sized for a small hearth and room. Allen says, "the black smithy folded the iron over and over, back on itself, for increased strength to endure the rigors of daily use." The current owner purchased the andirons from Robert Reeves, an Atlanta dealer who is an expert on African-American art and antiques.

Young man wearing a red bow tie

2011-09-21T04:53:00.000-07:00

Some paintings have a disarming innocence. This is one of them. From South Dakota, circa 1920.

The Rev. William Gayle's Crucifixion

2011-09-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

The Rev. William Gayle, an African-American minister from Ark, Va., made these powerful, well publicized carvings probably early in the 20th century. They look like hand-forged iron sculptures but in fact are wood painted black. Gayle portrays Jesus as an older black man. The face of the man to the left of Jesus is mask like; he is the penitent thief whose bent right leg is free of restraint. All three are stoic. The carvings have been published in American Vernacular (Frank Maresca, Roger Ricco, 2002) p. 172; Folk Art magazine, winter 1992-93, p. 65; Religious Folk Art in America (C. Kurt Dewhurst, Betty MacDowell, Marsha MacDowell, 1983) p. 126; and A Virginia Sampler, 18th, 19th & 20th Century Folk Art (Ferrum College, the Roanoke Fine Arts Center, 1976). They have been in a private collection in Atlanta for the past six years.

Welding deity

2011-09-16T16:06:00.000-07:00

How did the mythical cyclops come to be? One theory is that the blacksmith who wore an eye patch so flying sparks could not blind both eyes was the inspiration for the cyclops. So maybe a plastic cyclops welding mask is not so far out after all. Maybe it's part of a long tradition. Or maybe not.

Now that's entertainment!

2011-09-14T05:45:00.000-07:00

Available here.

Mud pig

2011-09-12T04:40:00.000-07:00

The Alabama artist Jimmy Lee Sudduth (d. 2007) "painted" this porker probably in the 1980s. Sudduth used a sugar water/mud mix. If you're unfamiliar with Sudduth, he became quite well known because of the sometimes great images he made with mud, and because of his outsize personality. Fans flocked to his small home in Fayette, eager to exchange green for mud. Sudduth died at the ripe old age of 97.

Tattoo portraits

2011-09-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

Sold for $334 on eBay.

She's the real deal, but the dog's a phony

2011-09-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

It was funny then and it's funny now. Stuffed animal humor, it never goes out of style.

I'll marry you dexterity game

2011-09-03T06:26:00.000-07:00

Oops, the ring fell on the second finger. Oh well, guess I'm not going to marry you. Made in Japan. On the flip side, try to put the beads in the monkey's eyes.

Small thickly painted basket

2011-09-01T05:22:00.000-07:00

I'm not a basket collector but I was really drawn to the old paint surface on this one. The basket has hardened under the heavy paint. I also like the small size: 6.6 inches high and 6 inches across.

Hunters

2011-08-30T05:12:00.000-07:00

A 30-inch long painting on a thick board showing hunters on a chilly day and their potential targets. Curiously, the hunter taking aim is pointing his gun away from the game in sight.

Portrait plaque painted gold

2011-08-28T05:41:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you can see this but the gentleman's eyes are looking right. This wood plaque is from Toledo, Ohio, and I'm guessing it shows a businessman, one with nice hair. Carved flora adds to the plaque's beauty.

Western painter Charles Damrow

2011-08-26T05:36:00.000-07:00

Charles Damrow (d. 1989) was a self-taught artist who ran away from his Wisconsin home as a teen to live in the West. He was a cowboy, sign painter and a forester, and spent some time in jail. A discussion board on Damrow mentions that his paintings were displayed and sold at the Stockyard Steakhouse Restaurant in Colorado Springs. The City of Colorado Springs owns some Damrow material for use by researchers. A 70-inch wide Damrow painting that once belonged to Burt Reynolds sold at auction in 2009 for $7,320. Damrow's biggest painting stretched 10 feet. The nighttime canoeist pictured here measures a more reasonable 19.75 inches by 23.75 inches.

First date?

2011-08-22T18:58:00.000-07:00

Maybe second. Their knees are touching. Mom took this photo. That's her favorite lamp.

Ohio woman

2011-08-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

Tall carving (22 inches including the base) by an anonymous artist. She looks into the distance as the wind blows, it seems. My guess -- mid-century.

Eerie Mose Tolliver Painting

2011-08-08T04:29:00.000-07:00

Mose Tolliver (d. 2006) is one of the best known of the Southern, self-taught, African-American artists. His work was included in the landmark 1982 show "Black Folk Art in America." One critic described Tolliver's paintings in the show as "sometimes nightmarish." I believe this image is called Dry Bones or Dry Bones Charlie, an x-ray view of man.

Pregnant woman weather vane

2011-08-06T05:56:00.000-07:00

This weathervane from North Carolina obviously spent quite a bit of time outdoors. It's caricature in the style of old African-American busts, ventriloquist dummies and puppets. So was the maker a white racist or an African-American? 34.6 inches wide, 2 feet tall on the stand.

I guess it's a cat

2011-08-03T16:42:00.000-07:00

A clay sculpture made by Ethel Dawson of Augusta, Ga. She's the same woman who made the JFK, RFK busts that were on my gallery site for more than a year. The gesso/paint is just slathered on. I like that, more than I like cats per se.

Baby's first photo

2011-08-01T15:58:00.000-07:00

Baby, be still! But baby can't.

Simply sophisticated

2011-07-28T05:07:00.000-07:00

In person this stylized figure initially looks like pottery, but a closer look reveals it's carved wood. It comes from North Carolina but seems African influenced. The pose, the absence of carved details and the choice of one color only, a creamy green yellow, all add up to a striking work of art.

Vane beauties

2011-07-25T19:17:00.000-07:00

A weathervane that once stood atop a building in South Carolina. It has an art deco look to it, but I don't think it dates to the 1930s; probably more like mid century, 1960s. Unusual and definitely a looker.

Joe Louis bedspread

2011-07-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

An unusual chenille bedspread showing the Brown Bomber, who was the heavyweight boxing champ from 1937 to 1949. This textile is particularly interesting to me because Dalton, Ga., northwest of Atlanta, where I live, was the tufted bedspread capital of the U.S. during the Great Depression. But that area of the state is predominately white, so is it still likely the Joe Louis bedspread was made there? The former owner said he acquired it in Texas. Maybe that's where it was made.

How to drink from a watering hole

2011-07-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

After dismounting, the cowboy should be prone, hat off, elbows up, palms flat, boots vertical. It's permissible for the bandana, shirt and vest to touch the water, but keep the firearm dry. Be aware that loud slurping might spook the horse.

I know where I'm headed

2011-07-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

Let's see if I feel any different.

A miner's first president

2011-07-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

Continuing with the theme "Large Rocks With Faces," here is a January 1942 press photo of Fred Nicholls of Lovely, Ky., with his towering George Washington and a smaller tablet with two figures. According to the caption, Mr. Nicholls, 59, spent eight weeks "tapping away" at a boulder to make the first president, based on a picture he had seen in a book "a long time ago." The sculpture is "an odd one," the caption writer says, then explains why. Because the picture was taken shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, I'm guessing a lot of papers did not have the space or inclination to run it. I'm dying to know what came of Mr. Nicholls and his George Washington, so I've made some inquiries. The Kentucky Arts Council, which is not familiar with either the carver or the carving, is investigating. "It turns out there are still members of a Nicholls family living in that same county," replied the council's artistic director, Adrian Swain. "So, I don’t have any answers yet, but I will be back in touch soon ..." A carving that large would be hard to lose.

He won't be arriving in the mail

2011-07-14T16:39:00.000-07:00

If you want this guy, be prepared to employ a heavy hauler. For sale on, you guessed it, eBay.

A star

2011-07-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

Chinese checkers, I learned, is a game that has nothing to do with China. It was first played in Germany in the late 19th century and is based on a slightly earlier game invented in the U.S. A marketer invented the Chinese checkers name in the 1920s. Figures. Up to six people can play the game. This board is visually striking, with a cream colored star bordered in apple green and a burgundy base featuring a dark border created by a lot of handling.

Four eyes or two?

2011-07-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

I don't know, I think I prefer you with specs. Souvenir photos, 1940s.

Don't open that box!

2011-07-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

A couple of coffins with naughty surprises. If you own the book "American Primitive: Discoveries in Folk Sculpture" (1988, Roger Ricco, Frank Maresca), go to page 33. There they are. The carvings, 7.6 inches tall, were once owned by the pioneering folk sculpture collectors Isobel and Harvey Kahn.

King cat

2011-07-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

Lion imagery has been around for as long as man has been making art. Ancient cave drawings include the king of beasts. This is a folky stone carving of a lion head. While perusing the Internet for lion information, I discovered that it is apparently still OK to trophy hunt lions. A company in Kentucky will help you do just that. In fact, they're offering a special. A five-day hunt in South Africa that used to cost $35,500 is now just $25,500. I guess the slow economy has provided a reprieve for the threatened lion. My wife was in Zimbabwe last year and actually approached and touched a young lion at a preserve. It cost her very little, but then all she bagged were a few photos and a story to tell.

A dark and stormy sail

2011-06-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

A small, anonymous English painting, just 9 inches wide, but strong. The paint separation gives the impression the ship is caught in an electrical storm. The previous owner said the painting reminded him of the work of Alfred Wallis, a Cornish fisherman whose life spanned the 19th and 20th centuries. Wallis painted sailing ships he remembered from his youth that were fast disappearing, but his work is much folkier than this painting.

Shadow Man

2011-06-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

Shadow Man represents the drinker's alter ego, or so I imagine. With his arms folded, does he signal approval or disapproval of the swig? Or does Shadow Man observe without judgment, before walking into the light and disappearing?

Oversized antique clay pipe

2011-06-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

This well-used pipe is 10 inches long, about twice the height of the 12-ounce soda can. The bowl is 2 inches across and 3 inches deep. With this pipe fully packed, one could set a spell. The yellow color shines, more so than in the photos. Found in Colorado.

Wheel of chance

2011-06-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

Does fortune await? Spin the wheel and find out. The ghostly numbers recall a time when optimists at fairs, carnivals and fundraisers eagerly placed their bets, then waited anxiously to see at which number the spinning wheel would finally stop. It was a lot more communal than today's scratch-off ticket. This old gambling device, made of wood, is 2 feet in diameter and ringed with metal stops.

Pants and door

2011-06-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

She hesitates, thinking, "Pink provokes such strong reactions."

Iron lady

2011-06-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

Unusual pose on this figural iron, apparently a finial. There is a hole in the back, so the lady was attached to something else at one time. The dark patina is beautiful.

The Marlboro Man, sort of

2011-06-17T04:52:00.000-07:00

The Marlboro Man was one of the most enduring figures in advertising, lasting more than 40 years. He portrayed the smoker as the rugged individualist. The Marlboro Man rode into the sunset in 1999 and smoking has declined, but on a recent trip to the West we noticed a lot of people still puffing away. Maybe, subconsciously, the Marlboro Man continues to have a strong influence. If this painting is based on the ad icon, it was done early in that marketing campaign, around 1954 when the Marlboro Man first saddled up.

Straight razor box, 1912

2011-06-15T05:08:00.000-07:00

J.I. Terrones provided haircuts and shaves at a home for the elderly in Pueblo, Colo. In gratitude, one of the seniors created this container with a handle using cigar boxes. Underneath it says, "From Made By B.J. Knox 1912 Pueblo Co." The front shows a horseshoe, scissors and a razor. There are slots for six razors and space for others tools of the trade. The sides also are decorated with carved wood.

Chair at 10:48

2011-06-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

While family members battled one crisis after another, Chair remained steadfast all those years.

Siblings

2011-06-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

A large tinted photo under convex glass found in the small town of Dubois, Wyoming.

Pottery baby

2011-06-09T04:43:00.000-07:00

This child, just 4 inches high, hails from North Carolina and might be African-American. The slip clothing looks like a sheet or blanket. Inside is the artist's name, which appears to be Gasser.

Small iron snake, possibly colonial

2011-06-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

Coiled iron snakes were placed atop hearths in colonial homes, supposedly to ward off evil spirits. The one with the raised head in the first two pictures is just 6 inches long, small enough to fit on a mantel. The third photo is from a 2009 post on 18th century items that I found on a blog about gun craftsmen called Contemporary Makers. The post says that snake is c. 1770 and was unearthed in the Williamsburg, Va., area. The majority of such snakes have been found in Virginia and North Carolina, according to that blogger.

Nice work for a 10 year old

2011-05-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

Dated 1925, this gouache or watercolor on paperboard or cardboard of a Native-American maiden was painted by a 10 year old, Doran Shuser, according to the pencil inscription on the back. Is it a copy of a calendar image?

Graceful pour

2011-05-24T20:44:00.000-07:00

Ridgid is a tool company that started in the 1920s in Ohio. It's now part of Emerson Electric. Back in the day Ridgid made a curvy oil spout. This one is peppered with dings.

Semi-abstract window photo

2011-05-22T15:06:00.000-07:00

An old photo on card stock, 9 inches by 7 inches, showing backlit rain/ice on a window. I would guess 1920s vintage.

Strong profile

2011-05-20T04:41:00.000-07:00

An old carving of someone in particular? I don't know. Nothing is written on the back.

Pierced eyes

2011-05-18T05:05:00.000-07:00

When it was new, this hand-cut metal yard sign undoubtedly said something like "keep off," meaning you doggie. But the paint is almost completely worn off, leaving just those pierced piercing eyes.

Final score, 10-7

2011-05-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

An elaborate tramp art frame holding an old photo of a youth baseball team. If you look closely at the background, the numbers on the wall describe how the game ended. Judging by the looks of some of the players, the L team chalked up a W.

Camp bunkhouse plaques

2011-05-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

Thirty six and 46 years ago, these plaques were nailed to the sleeping quarters at summer camps in Damascus, Pa.

Polio?

2011-05-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

The girl in this large painted photograph seems to be wearing a brace on her leg and standing on her tiptoes, and her mother appears to be supporting the child's legs. The painted embellishments give both an odd look.

Bob Wills

2011-05-09T04:55:00.000-07:00

Friday marks 36 years since Bob Wills, the "King of Western Swing" and leader of the Texas Playboys, died of pneumonia at age 70. An interesting fact about Wills -- he sold a Dallas dance hall, the Bob Wills Ranch House, to Jack Ruby. This mid-century painting of Wills on paperboard is a bit of a mystery to me because TacKenridge County seems not to exist. I could not find it on a Google search. Was it renamed? Is it fictional? I'd like to know.

Hoot

2011-05-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

An old mortar mixing blade with an owlish countenance.