We devote a great deal of time to finding the best in 19th C. American folk art. We avoid
what was created expressly to be folk art and focus on pieces fashioned as part of daily
life in the 1800s. Weathervanes, hooked rugs, toleware and gameboards were made as functional objects for the home. Family portraits, small watercolors, theorem and samplers decorated the walls. Trade signs, architectural carvings and decorated stoneware were intended to serve commercial purposes. We offer fine examples of each on this site.
Queen Anne Painted Courting Mirror
Rare 18th C. Queen Anne painted courting mirror with crosshatch and floral decoration over a softly oxidized saffron yellow ground. Pine lap-construct-ed frame with a hardwood cushion molded face. Original back with very early, possibly original, mirror glass. 9 3/4" by 7 3/4".
$2,300
Life-Sized Carved Trade Figure
Wonderful 71” tall trade figure in the form of an 1880s New York policeman, carved from a single block of white pine and signed by Rhode Island master carver Armand LaMontagne. Full-sized commissioned sculptures by Mr. LaMontagne, which today run well into six figures, are in private collections and museums across the country, among them the Cordova Museum, a 26-acre collection of 20th C. art and sculpture, the Patton Museum, the Sports Museum of New England and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. His life story has been the subject of an hour-long television documentary titled “Splendid Splinters,” and LaMontagne has been called both the most versatile American artist of the 20th century and the finest portrait sculptor in the world.
This figure—carved about 1960 and one of three life-sized carvings LaMontagne did of police figures—has been in a private collection for 29 years and before that is said to have stood guard in the lobby of a bank in Cincinnati, OH. Original paint with touchup to gilt buttons, badge and black hatband. Shrinkage cracks and minor repairs. This carving was authenticated in 2008 and a certificate to that effect, along with a hand-written note from the artist, accompanies the figure. $9,500
19th C. Painted Gameboard
Antique 19th C. American checkerboard in original untouched paint. Red and black squares decorated with a mustard yellow stripe surrounding the playing surface. Applied rim. Ca. 1880-1900. 17½” x 20½”.
$895
Signed New York Theorem
An exceptional 19th C. watercolor theorem on velvet. The composition is open and perfectly balanced, with rich, vivid colors. Virtually no foxing and only the slightest overall toning. Signed by “Helen M. French.” 9” x 11”. Archivally mounted in a period but not original frame. C. 1820-1830. Found in upstate New York.
$4,695
Stars and Stripes Looking Glass
19th/20th C. carved walnut frame in the form of an American Federal shield. Liner is first gilt over gesso and stars and stripes paint decoration is entirely original. Ca. 1870-1920. 12" x 16". A related frame in cast iron is illustrated on p. 800 of The Index of American Design, but I've never seen another one in carved wood. Striking and possibly unique.
$2,200
Pennsylvania House Sampler
Excellent 1834 silk on linen Pennsylvania house sampler, signed by Mary Stote, in an unusual vertical format. 8¼” x 13¾”. The strong strawberry border completely encloses a three-tier presentation format frequently seen in Philadelphia samplers from the 1820s and 1830s. Here it is anchored at the bottom by a brick home with two chimneys and a hipped roof, flanked by a pair of flowering potted plants that nearly dwarf the house. In fact, all the elements in Mary’s sampler are unusually large, emphasizing the charming folky perspective. In addition to the motifs that traditionally characterize Philadelphia samplers, like angels, butterflies, hearts, long-tailed birds and tall baskets of blossoms, Mary’s needle-work includes a rare pair of polychrome roosters and two spotted deer. Ground linen is in good condition with one almost invisible peppercorn-sized hole at the extreme top. No discoloration except a faint stain along the lower edge and the hint of a fold line. A related needlework is illustrated in Stephen and Carol Huber’s Samplers: How to Compare and Value. Archivally framed in birdseye maple. A very good Pennsylvania sampler in amazing condition. $4,795
19th C. Fox & Geese Gameboard
Double-sided gameboard from the last quarter of the 1800's. Applied walnut square-nailed rim. The paint surface on both sides as well as the construction are time-capsule original. Unusual pumpkin over mustard paint on a chocolate ground. This is one of the few gameboards I've seen in which the Fox and Geese side wasn't a pencil-sketched afterthought, but fully decorated, and may well have been intended as the primary side. Of the 189 boards catalogued in The Art of the Game, only three are paint decorated Fox and Geese gameboards. The checkerboard on the back uses the same colors, but there the mustard undercoat shows through the pumpkin for a subtle striated effect. A rare and very strong graphic board. $1,250
Early New England Applique Table Rug
Table rugs turn up with some frequency. Appliqued table rugs very seldom. This is a remarkable example of the adaptation of mid-19th C. quilt motifs to the table rug form, rendered with energy and originality. Dating certainly from the second half of the 19th C., probably ca. 1850, and now mounted on an acid-free backing for display, this rug is cotton and wool on a wool ground, with a burlap backing. The heart-and-leaf wreath was a favorite of Pennsylvania quilters, and despite the fact that this rug was found in Massachusetts, it was probably made further south. Wear from use, corner fraying, period repairs. Colors are vivid and true. Rug is 33” x 22”. Mounted size is 36” x 25”. See Folk Art Underfoot, Joel and Kate Kopp, p. 229 for a later but related rug. $1,450
19th C. Primitive NE Landscape
Oil-on-canvas of a New England hillside farmstead by the shore of a lake. Quirky birdseye perspective in the manner of Caleb Fitzsimmons and Ferdinand Brader. Probably commissioned by the farm owner, paintings like this of private residences were popular in the last half of the 19th C. Outbuildings, like the small house by the shore, livestock, crops and neatly fenced pastures were all included to show affluence. That may be the proud farmer taking his ease against the fence. Found in New Hampshire, the painting is unsigned, unlined and in a period gilt frame. Very minor in-painting in the water. Sight size 17¾” x 26”. $1,950
Halsey Munson Americana
204 North Summit Avenue
Decatur, Illinois 62522
Phone: 217-972-4645
This web site, web content and all related graphics © 2007-2010 Halsey Munson Americana, Decatur, Illinois.
All rights reserved.
19th C. Ethan Allen Weathervane
Arguably, Ethan Allen was the greatest of the 19th C. Morgan race horses. He was the son of the almost equally famous Blackhawk, and probably more Ethan Allen weathervanes were made than of any other horse. But this Ethan Allen rises from that crowd to stand apart. At 25”L x 15”H he’s not the biggest, but his beautifully trim form may be the best. And his verdigris surface is certainly the best. Hammered sheet copper body, mane and tail; cast zinc head, with just vestiges of the original sizing and gilt. No breaks or repairs or bullet holes. Found in western New York State. Possibly by J.W. Fiske and Co., New York. $3,800
Carved Jeweler’s Trade Sign
in First Paint
A true New England country pocket watch trade sign. Most jeweler’s and watchmaker’s trade signs were the late 19th products of commercial foundries. In contrast, this is a one-off design, probably by a local carpenter, composed of three
2” thick slabs of pine with a carved stem inset. The front edge is chamfered all around to represent a watch bezel. Silver on the watch stem is a second coat. Either Mr. Abel or the sign painter considered that three “e’s” in “jeweler” were one too many, so Mr. P. Abel’s sign proudly proclaimed him a Jewler. Two-sided, 22” diameter. Observing tradition, the painter set the hands at 8:17, the time Lincoln is popularly supposed to have died. Tradition is a
good thing in its way, but most authorities agree that Lincoln was shot at 10:10 in the evening and
died at 7:22 the next morning.
$2,275
Early 19th C. Fabric Folk Portrait
George Smart layered fabric collage on a painted paper ground of an old woman on her way to market with a basket of geese to sell, ca. 1820. 7 ¼” x 5 ½” in a period birdseye maple frame. Called ”The Tailor of Frant,” George Smart (1775-1846) was a working tailor in the village of Frant near Tunbridge Wells, England and, using left over bits of fabric, produced unique collage portraits of local characters. “The Goose Lady” was one of his favorites. A version of this portrait was sold at Sothebys in 2008. Ref.: British Folk Art, James Ayres, pp. 85-88.
$1,625
Paneled Hooked Rug
Late 19th C. hooked rug patterned with 32 individual panels. Probably a hearth rug. Rich colors and in great condition. Found in Massachusetts. 67" x 34".
$1,875
Fat Folky Ruddy Decoy
Extremely folky solid body Ruddy Decoy from the St. Lawrence River region. Great attitude, with a bright eye and alert position. Wing flashes may have been freshened, but otherwise all original. Lightly hit by shot. 12¾”L. Ca. 1910. Purchased from Dick McIntyre in 1981. This is a great bird.
$750
Signed and Dated
Portrait Miniature on Canvas
Remarkable 19th C. miniature oval portrait of a woman signed and dated 1827. Most miniatures are oil on ivory or vellum. This portrait is oil on canvas on its original pine backing. 3¼” x 4”. Period gilt frame. Touch-up to edges of canvas as a result of wear from a previous mount. Possibly Mid-Atlantic origin. Folky and wonderful.
$1,695
19th/20th C. Painted Barber Pole
44” tall floor-standing barber pole in crusty red, white and blue paint. Strong turnings, strong graphics, great surface. On a 20th C. base, possibly to replace one that deteriorated from moisture and exposure. Ex-John Schnall collection.
$2,950
19th C. Oil-On-Panel Ship Portrait
Ca. 1870-1890 oil-on-board portrait of the three-masted American frigate of war, USS Constitution. Built in Hartt's shipyard in Boston of specially picked timber from 2,000 trees, armed with cannon cast in Rhode Island, her hull sheathed with copper made by Paul Revere, the Constitution was so strongly built that in her historic 1812 defeat of the HMS Guerriere 600 miles off Nova Scotia, legend says the Guerriere's cannon balls just bounced off her white oak sides, earning her the name "Old Ironsides." Depicting the Constitution all sales aloft, this portrait is oil on a single pine board that has cracked and been reglued. 23" x 32". $3,400
Early 19th C. Reverse Painted Portrait
Extremely fine early 19th C. portrait of a young woman reverse painted on glass. Ca. 1815-1850. Wood-pinned lap jointed pine frame in original red paint with a mustard stripe on the inner edge to simulate a gilt liner. Original wooden backboard. Nice bubbly glass and virtually no deterioration in the paint. 7” x 9½” sight size. While many, perhaps most, of the 19th C. reverse-painted portraits are continental, this one is American, probably by the same artist who painted the portrait now in the Museum of American Folk Art, which is attributed to New England. See pages 58-59 in American Folk Art by William Ketchum.
$785
Pair of Swimming Bluebill Decoys
Early pair of swimming bluebill hen decoys by an unknown maker in an unusual paint pattern. Solid body, flat bottom, high head on raised neck seat, painted eye. Appears to be original paint with minor touch-up in the center of the back. An unusual feature is that the maker chose to slant the wing flash toward the bird’s head instead towards its tail as is customary. 2nd quarter of the 20th C. 13”L x 6”H x 5¼”W. Never weighted or rigged and possibly used as marsh stickups. Probably Alexandria Bay, N.Y. Great personality. $1,260
Maine Merganser Decoy
Ca. 1900 Maine Merganser with great form and surface. Early red breasted Merganser drake decoy. Interesting construction with the head attached to an upright neck and the neck inlet into the body Strong original paint in a striking pattern with areas of crazing. Old repair to the bill with retouch at that spot. 18”L. Maine, ca. 1900. From a New England collection. “American Sheldrake” written in
pencil on the bottom.
$2,400
Folky 19th C. Oil on Board
Barnyard Genre Scene
Mid-to-late 19th C. rooster painting with great attitude and character. Rich colors, superb condition. One extremely minor retouch to the grass at the edge of the water. Other than Ben Austrian's, American barnyard paintings are comparatively uncommon. Sight size: 7¼” x 9¾"; overall: 12” x 14¾”. In an original 19th C. shadowbox frame.
$1,975
Ca. 1880 Yellow Painted Gameboard
Ca. 1880 pine checkerboard in goldenrod yellow and alligatored black on a single span of wood. The back is chamfered down to a reeded applied rim secured with a combination of square nails and very early drawn wire nails. 20” x 17½” Probably New York State. This is a really good board.
$1,850
Mid-19th C. Farrier’s Trade Sign
Ca. 1850-1865 farrier’s two-sided trade sign in the shape of a horseshoe. Suspended in the center on iron brackets is the silhouette of a prancing horse. The sign is constructed of two layers of wood secured with large wooden pegs. The top and bottom edges are framed with bolted iron strapping. In second paint with lettering likely freshened in the early 20th Century. 28”H x 24”W.
$5,200
Carved 19th C. Weathervane Mold
Late 19thC.. star carved from a single 3” thickness of wood. In original grey-green paint. Originally a mold for a gilded copper weathervane or flagpole finial made by either A.B Westervelt or J.W. Fiske, both New York. 19th C. wooden molds are considerably more rare than the weathervanes made from them. For a dimensionally complex object obviously carved by hand and by eye, the work is remarkably precise and there is a difficult-to-define quality of intrinsic elegance. A terrific piece of found folk art.
SOLD
Set of Painted Pequot Indian Nested Baskets
Two mid-19th C. southeastern CT Indian open baskets in yellow and black swab, with potato stamped design elements characteristic of the Pequot and Mohegan Indians. Notched handles. Rare to find nesting baskets and even more so to find two baskets by the same maker. Larger 12” x 13” x 5¼”; smaller 10¾” x 10¾” x 4”. See A Key into the Language of Woodsplint Baskets.
SOLD
19th C. Figural Food Chopper
Early to mid-19th C. tobacco or cabbage cutter in the form of a running fox. Full tang running the length of the copper riveted wooden handle with the remnants of green paint. The fox’s eye appears to be a thin inlay of copper reminiscent of other early brass- and copper-inlaid kitchen implements. 11” overall length. Found in Pennsylvania.
SOLD
Early 19th C. Looking Glass with
A Girl and Her Cat
Ca. 1820-1830 black and gold painted split spindle mirror with an eglomise upper panel with wide swags framing a barefoot girl holding a cat. Found in a New Hampshire home. Based on the design of the frame and spindles, the mirror was most likely made in Boscawen, NH, probably by Benjamin Morrill, between 1816 and 1845. 22¼” x 11¾”.
$1,650
