Folk Art Figurative Sculptures

Contemporary American paper-mache artist Debbee Thibault is a master sculptor in the grand tradition of the WPA sculptors of the early 1930’s. Her belief that “like a fingerprint eac...

Rare child's Windsor chair, ca. 1880s. American antique, crafted in Maine. Original red wash. Seat is 22" from the floor. Originally made for a child. (Does not conform to today's sa...

A bronze sculpture by Bruno Luna from 1990. A miniature scene of a roulette table populated by Botero-esque rotund figures. Artist: Bruno Luna, Mex...

C. Jeré ( or Curtis Jere) is a metalwork artist of wall sculptures and household accessories. C. Jeré works are made by Artisan House. Curtis Jer...

Pair of Tiki ceramic figures by artist Howard Pierce (1912-1994). Howard Pierce's artistry is cherished among collectors, a following he gained in over 5...

An exceptional drummer sculpture by Willitts Designs International and Shen Lung. The sculpture is cold painted and made of hand cast resin. The drumm...

A deeply spiritual and visually symbolic wooden sculpture by revered folk artist and preacher Rev. Howard Finster (1916–2001), dated 1991 and numbered 21,000,267. This hand-painted c...

Striking pair of French blanc de chine porcelain life size parrots or cockatoos casually perched on grapevines.

Myanmar (Burma) Mandalay Standing Buddha Title: Standing Buddha Medium: Painted hand-carved wood sculpture with gold and jewel detailing Size: 60 x 26 x 8 in. (152.4 x 66.04 x 20.32...

MASTERPIECE Piece made of cardboard, delicately hand painted by the most expert artisans of Guadalajara Jalisco, México. LISTING =================================== 1 Cardboard handpainted Virgin =================================== DIMENSIONS =================================== 24" x 24" x 8" in or 60 x 60 x 20 cm =================================== DETAILS =================================== Time of Preparation: 2 months Made: Guadalajara, Jalisco, México. Artisan: Danilo Lopez Ochoa...

Standout mid century Italian life size greyhound sitting on a pillow figure or sculpture crafted in terra cotta, hand decorated and glazed.

Wonderful and one of a kind nude sculpture by Noche Crist (1909-2004). Sculpture is made from polyester resin. Catalogue of a postumous retrospective in 2008 at the American Universi...

Familia del Mezcal - Mezcal Family Made with natural clay, copper wire and polychrome painting. Hand-modeled technique and cooked in an oven. LISTING =================================== 1 Ceramic Sculpture of a Mezcal Family =================================== DETAILS =================================== Time of Preparation: 2.5 months Made: Izuca de Matamoros, Puebla, México. Dimensions: 7" x 8" x 5" in or 17" x 20" x 13 cm Artisan: Taller Alfonso Castillo Orta...

FREE SHIPPING TO WORLDWIDE! Artisan: Roxana y Jesus Hernandez MASTERPIECE Made with Copal wood, woodcarving technique gouges, machete and sandpaper, decorated with acrylic paintin...

Artist Statement I absolutely love working with clay. Creating forms with a chunk of moist earth is a tangible way to cultivate beauty and delight. Through my work, I hope to touch ...

Columbia, South Carolina-based artist, Wendell George Brown creates quilts that explore the traditions of African American quilt-making and Negro Spirit...

Striking Italian hand blown bird or cockatoo sculpture or object of art featuring pink with gold flecks, clear and black glass composed in a stylized modern form. Signed M. Rossetti ...

Standout mid century life size frog sculpture or object of art handcrafted in silver plate on bronze with a tortoise shell terrazzo back. Signed Maitland Smith on the bottom.

Life size lizard sculpture or object of art handcrafted with silver plate on bronze metal head, legs, and bottom and featuring a tortoise shell terrazzo back. Signed Maitland-Smith o...

Important one of a kind painting by Noche Crist (1909 - 2004). A shaped painting titled " Flower Caryatid". Noche Crist imbued her cutouts with more...

One of a kind Goddess sculpture by Noche Crist (1909-2004). Noche Crist was an American artist born in Romania. Sculpture is made from polyester res...

An original work by Noche Crist (1909- 2004). Titled "Femme Fatale" and signed on reverse. Wonderful work made with cut wood, paint and plaster. Catalogue of an exhibition in 2008 ...

Columbia, South Carolina-based artist, Wendell George Brown creates quilts that explore the traditions of African American quilt-making and Negro Spirit...

Artist Statement I absolutely love working with clay. Creating forms with a chunk of moist earth is a tangible way to cultivate beauty and delight. Through my work, I hope to touch ...

Paint and gold paint on wood Circa early to mid 20th century. This is not signed A treasure from a proud congregation. It is a hand-carved wooden sculpture showing the Tablets of the Law flanked by two Lions of Judah. Their paws held the tablets. Their roaring mouths faced outward, protecting the commandments from threats. In a foliage design with gold and silver paint. Circa 1920-1940's. This Neoclassical, Judaic, Art Deco, Egyptian revival, Shul, Aron Kodesh hand carving, wood with gilding, Hebrew lettering ten commandments sign sculpture, was produced probably in New York. There was a show at the Folk Art Museum titled “Gilded Lions and Jeweled Horses: The Synagogue to the Carousel” That featured these antique magnificent pieces. From gilded lions to high-stepping horses, the sacred to the secular, and the Old World to the New, “Gilded Lions and Jeweled Horses: The Synagogue to the Carousel” traces the journey of Jewish woodcarvers and other artisans from Eastern and Central Europe to America and the unsung role they played in establishing a distinct Jewish culture in communities throughout the United States. The exuberant artworks stand as a testament to a history of survival and transformation and provide a surprising revelation of the link that was forged between the synagogue and the carousel as immigrant Jewish artists transferred symbolic visual elements into this vernacular American idiom. The first major study of this important aspect of the Jewish contribution to American folk art, the exhibition features approximately one hundred artworks and objects, including rare documentary photographs of Eastern European synagogue arks and carved gravestones, sacred carvings, papercuts, and carousel animals. Some of these same Jewish European carvers worked on Coney Island amusement park rides and carousel horses and other carnival and circus carvings.

A distinctive and visually dynamic cut-out sculpture by American folk art icon Rev. Howard Finster (1916–2001), titled “Cheetah” and numbered 20,000,342. Created in 1991, this hand-p...

Whimsical life size tortoise or turtle sculpture or object of art handcrafted in brass and copper in a stylized modern form. Attributed to Bustamante.

San Francisco-based folk artist Tim Weldon, fresh off a showing at Scottsdale’s annual Celebration of Fine Art, is a man in touch with his lovable inner child. He declares himself a ...

Artist Statement I absolutely love working with clay. Creating forms with a chunk of moist earth is a tangible way to cultivate beauty and delight. Through my work, I hope to touch ...

This work is hand signed. It is not dated. Murat Brierre or Murat Briere (1938–1988) was one of Haiti's principal metal sculptors. He was influenced by George Liautaud, but his work acquired its own, highly experimental style, often focusing on multi-faceted and conjoined figures, fantastically personified elements, and unborn babies visible within larger creatures. He sculpted works that reflected both Christian and Haitian Vodou themes. Murat BRIERRE was born in Mirebalais in 1938. He first worked as a builder, cabinetmaker and blacksmith before being introduced to Le Centre d’Art in 1966. After trying painting with DeWitt Peters, he realized that metal sculpture was best suited for him and studied under Georges Liautaud in order to learn the métier. He also made very beautiful linocuts. Francine Murat quickly recognized his talent and considered Brierre to be one of the best Haitian sculptors. He passed away in 1988 at the age of 50. Brierre was known for his recycling of surplus steel oil drum lids. Brierre worked as a brick mason, cabinetmaker, tile setter, and blacksmith. He was born in Mirebalais or Port-au-Prince, Haiti and was the younger of two brothers. His older brother, Edgar Brierre, was a painter and sculptor. The brother's signed their works with only their last name, creating some confusion within their professional circles about the authorship of their work. Brierre's sculptures typically ranged from three to six feet in length and reflected Christian, Haitian Vodou, and folklore themes. Brierre was also a painter, but ultimately chose to work with metal because he felt that the material was saturated with spiritual energy. It was a laborious process. The oil drum lids were hammered flat, drawn onto, then cut with a razor. The sheet was then cut with a chisel before finishing was completed with a file. By the mid1970s, Brierre's sculptures included pronounced areas of cut outs surrounding long curved lines of metal. Brierre's iron sculpture titled Chien de Mer overlays a dog head onto the body of a fish. Haiti has long celebrated a rich artistic and cultural heritage. Georges Liautaud (1899–1991) ignited the Haitian metal sculpture movement in the 1950s in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. A blacksmith by trade, he fashioned crosses for public cemeteries before creating more elaborate cut-metal works. Liautaud disseminated the distinctly Haitian art form to emerging artists, such as Murat Brièrre (1938–88) and the Louisjuste brothers, Sérésier, Janvier, and Joseph (1940–89). They, in turn, taught others in Croix-des-Bouquets, including Gabriel Bien-Aimé (b. 1951) and Serge Jolimeau (b. 1952), Haiti’s two leading metal sculptors working today. Discarded steel oil drums have historically served as the base material for Haitian metal artists. The drums’ lids are cut open with a chisel and hammer and a long vertical split is made along the side of the drums. The interiors are filled with dried sugarcane or grass and lit on fire to remove any grime; once cool, the drums are flattened into sheets. Designs are chalked on; pieces are then cut and sculpted using only hand tools and further enhanced by hammering, embossing, cutting holes, and bending the metal. Sculptures reflect everyday life portraits, imaginative themes, and motifs of Haitian Vodou, an African Diasporic religion. Some of the many forms that appear include angels and winged creatures, mermaids and other aquatic figures, musical bands, animals, and earthly, paradisiacal scenes. Solo exhibitions 1967 – Haitian Art Gallery, New York 1968 – Centre d'Art, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Bradley Galleries, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Georgetown Graphics Gallery, Washington D.C.; Menschoff Gallery, Chicago; John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin; Roko Gallery, New York 1969 – Centre d'Art, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Showcase Gallery, Washington D.C.; Botolph Group, Boston 1970 – Centre d'Art, Port-au-Prince, Haiti 1972 – Centre d'Art, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Roko Gallery, New York 1979 – Areta Contemporary Design, Boston Group exhibitions 1969 – Davenport Art Gallery, Iowa 1974 – Davenport Art Gallery, Iowa 1978 – Brooklyn Museum, New York (traveling) 1982 – Studio Museum in Harlem, New York 1983 – Chicago Public Library Cultural Center 1985 – Davenport Art Gallery, Iowa 1987 – Musée du Panthéon National, Port-au-Prince, Haiti 1988 – Galeries Nationales d'Exposition du Grand Palais, Paris 1989 – Museum of Art, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 2006 – Phyllis Kind Gallery in conjunction with the Outsider Art Fair, New York 2024 Ayiti Toma II: Faith, Family, and Resistance, Luhring Augustine, Tribeca, New York 2023 Haitian Metal Sculpture, SFO Museum, California, USA 2015 Celebrating African American Art, Flomenhaft Gallery, Chelsea, New York, USA An important exhibition of works by outstanding African American artists. Included were: Emma Amos, Benny Andrews, Romare Bearden, Murat Brierre, Beverly Buchanan...

Murat Brierre or Murat Briere (1938–1988) was one of Haiti's principal metal sculptors. He was influenced by George Liautaud, but his work acquired its own, highly experimental style, often focusing on multi-faceted and conjoined figures, fantastically personified elements, and unborn babies visible within larger creatures. He sculpted works that reflected both Christian and Haitian Vodou themes. Murat BRIERRE was born in Mirebalais in 1938. He first worked as a builder, cabinetmaker and blacksmith before being introduced to Le Centre d’Art in 1966. After trying painting with DeWitt Peters, he realized that metal sculpture was best suited for him and studied under Georges Liautaud in order to learn the métier. He also made very beautiful linocuts. Francine Murat quickly recognized his talent and considered Brierre to be one of the best Haitian sculptors. He passed away in 1988 at the age of 50. Brierre’s works have been exhibited in France, the United States, Switzerland, Germany, Israel, Mexico and Jamaica, in such places as the Abbaye de Daoulas, the Grand Palais, the Brooklyn Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Mexico and the Musée du Montparnasse. His work is part of the permanent collections at the Waterloo Museum, the Davenport Museum, the Milwaukee Art Museum, Le Centre d’Art, the Musée d’art Haïtien du Collège Saint-Pierre and the Musée de Panthéon National Haïtien. References Phyllis Kind...

Artist Statement I absolutely love working with clay. Creating forms with a chunk of moist earth is a tangible way to cultivate beauty and delight. Through my work, I hope to touch ...

Artist Statement I absolutely love working with clay. Creating forms with a chunk of moist earth is a tangible way to cultivate beauty and delight. Through my work, I hope to touch ...

19th Century Italian carved wood remnant with classical form and a worn silver leaf finish holding a tole bouquet with flowers and leaves with a perfect time worn patina.

Standout set of two pugilistic roosters crafted in metal in action poses and hand painted in dramatic colors. Signed "Made in Italy" on a brass bracelet. Left: H: 6 W: 12 D: 7 Rig...

Mid century Italian object of art ingeniously crafted with a ram's horn and cast brass head and tail depicting a neo classical mythological dolphin.

Rare Vintage unusual piece. A cute couple, Chassidic bride and groom in their wedding best. Frank Meisler has sculpted the city of Jerusalem, its walls and buildings culminating in the Temple Mount. There is a little hole in his hand for the flower that is currently missing but can easily be filled with any small sprig FRANK MEISLER Gdansk, Poland - Israel, b. 1929 Frank Meisler (born 1929) is an Israeli architect and sculptor. He was born in Germany, grew up in England, before moving to Israel in 1960. Meisler was born into a Jewish family in Danzig (then in Germany, now Gdańsk in Poland). He was evacuated from Germany by the Kindertransport in August 1939, travelling with 14 other Jewish children via Berlin to the Netherlands and then to Liverpool Street station in London. His parents were arrested three days after his departure, held in the Warsaw Ghetto and later murdered at Auschwitz concentration camp. He was raised by a grandmother, who lived in London. He attended school in Harrow, and then did national service in the Royal Air Force. He studied architecture at the University of Manchester, and was involved in the construction of the Heathrow Airport. Meisler moved to Israel in 1960, where he has a workshop in the Old City of Jaffa. He makes small Judaica sculptures, and also large public works. His public works include a memorial to Ben Gurion in Israel, a statue "Eternal Kiev" in Kiev, and a series of Kindertransport memorials: "Kindertransport - the arrival" erected at Liverpool Street station in London in 2006, "Trains to life, trains to death" erected at Friedrichstraße station in Berlin in 2008, "The departure" erected at Gdańsk Główny station in 2009, and "Crossing to life" erected at the Hook of Holland in 2011. Each includes bronze statues of a group of children, with luggage. Known for his whimsical Folk Art, Judaic sculptures he is a long time denizen of Jaffa along with Ilana Goor. He made large-scale sculptures commemorating various historical figures, including Joseph Stalin, Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill at the 1945 Yalta Conference, and Christopher Columbus. Meisler also worked on a smaller scale, producing menorah, Jerusalem fountains, Jewish figurines...

Vintage wood mask. The edge undulates and is lightweight. Date and artist unknown.

Columbia, South Carolina-based artist, Wendell George Brown creates quilts that explore the traditions of African American quilt-making and Negro Spirit...

Columbia, South Carolina-based artist, Wendell George Brown creates quilts that explore the traditions of African American quilt-making and Negro Spirit...

To Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald, his sculptures are a means of traveling through time. Working from found materials, Fitzgerald constructs miniature soap box cars...

This flat shadow puppet was created by an unknown Indonesian artist using water buffalo hide. This shadow puppet, 17 1/2" high with movable arms, was use...

Ultimate pair of mid century Chinese foo dogs with removable heads, ambitiously hand crafted in wicker, reed and rattan with carved wood and paint decorated highlights, set on wicker...

Tucan Majestuoso - Toucan Alebrije This Mexican Tucan - Toucan Alebrije made with Copal wood, wood carving technique gouges, machete and sandpaper, decorated with acrylic paintings with Zapotec symbols. At Cactus Fine Art...

This flat shadow puppet was created by an unknown Indonesian artist using water buffalo hide. This shadow puppet, 17" high with movable arms, was used in Indonesian Wayang puppet shows. Wayang (Krama Javanese: Ringgit ꦫꦶꦁꦒꦶꦠ꧀, "Shadow"), also known as Wajang, is a form of puppet theatre art found in Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia, wherein a dramatic story is told through shadows thrown by puppets and sometimes combined with human characters. The art form celebrates the Indonesian culture and artistic talent; its origins are traced to the spread of Hinduism in the medieval era and the arrival of leather-based puppet arts called Tholu bommalata from southern India. Wayang refers to the entire dramatic show. Sometimes the leather puppet...

Artist Statement I absolutely love working with clay. Creating forms with a chunk of moist earth is a tangible way to cultivate beauty and delight. Through my work, I hope to touch ...

An impressive lady in gold jazz singer sculpture by Willitts Designs International and Shen Lung. The sculpture is cold painted and made of hand cast resin. The singer is wearing gold gloves...

Olga Fisch ( American 1901-1990) Hummingbird and Pendant Flower, hand woven and stitched wool and sequins, signed lower right. Dimensions: 58 x 32 in. Olga Fisch was born in Hungary, studied in Germany and lived in Morocco and Ethiopia before receiving asylum as a Jewish refugee in Ecuador in 1939. For her Indian-inspired designs, Mrs. Fisch uses natural black and white sheep...

Artist Statement I absolutely love working with clay. Creating forms with a chunk of moist earth is a tangible way to cultivate beauty and delight. Through my work, I hope to touch ...

FREE SHIPPING TO WORLDWIDE! Artisan: Meliton Zeferino Acevedo Made with Tzomplantli wood, woodcarving technique gouges, machete and sandpaper, decorated with traditional lacquer ba...

Artist Statement I absolutely love working with clay. Creating forms with a chunk of moist earth is a tangible way to cultivate beauty and delight. Through my work, I hope to touch ...

Anglo Indian carved mahogany cat with ebonized stripes and a curious expression, featuring a secret compartment on the bottom.

Richly textured with whimsical appeal, this late 20th century wooden crow is a delightful example of naive American sculpture. Poised mid-caw, the crow's wings are outstretched, read...

Charming pair of neoclassic Italian tole or painted palm trees with stylized fronds and trunks set in mustard color planters with galleries and decorated with birds and trees. From ...

This Wabi Sabi Daisy Duck sculpture, carved from a single piece of wood, offers a charming and unrefined representation that reflects the straightforward creativity of its time, like...

A VERY rare Tigre (TIGER) Dance Mask Zitlala Guerrero, Mexico. Anonymous Deep Yellow Tigre Dance Mask. Early 20th C. Zitlala Guerrero, Mexico. Painted leather and fur. Museum-quality...

Artist: Mr. Imagination (aka Gregory Warmack), American (1948 - 2012) Title: Fish Year: circa 1985 Medium: Aluminum Collage with Bottle Caps Sculpture Size: 19.5 x 37.5 x 2 in. (49.5...

FREE SHIPPING TO WORLDWIDE! Artisan: Martin, Gerardo & Juan Carlos Salgado Castrejon  MASTERPIECE Mask made with Colorin wood, woodcarving technique gouges, machete and sandpaper, decorated with lacquer. Includes: El Señor de la Naranja, Negro, Negro Riendo, Satanas, Maria, Tataqueri, Colarilla, Olmeca, Asmodeo, Astucia, Viejitos, Hermitaño, Los Ortelanos, Cocucha and Baston para el Tataqueri. - Dimensions: 31" x 31" x 2" in or 80 x 80 x 5 cm - Weight: 15.4 lb or 7...

Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald uses his works as a means of resurrecting the idyllic worlds he once found in the industrial surroundings of his youth. Raised in Grand Rapids...

Huichol Indian - Hand beaded Sea Cow This beautiful Huichol Sculpture beaded has such beautiful bright colors. Hand beaded sculpture with attention to detail....