Folk Art Decorative Objects

Decorated with silver inlay and cloaked in an antique patina, this curious brass case is an early 20th century betel nut box, attributed to the Maranao people of the island of Mindan...

The vintage basket features square base and rounded top. The top is reinforced with carved bent wooden pieces, wrapped with splints; four carved wooden legs are attached to the woode...

19thc collection of four hand carved wooden bowls. The bowls have great patina and wonderful age. Largest bowl measures - 13 diameter x 4 high Second largest - 11.5 diameter x 3 h...

multi-tiered assemblage art shrine or altar. It incorporates a wide variety of religious and symbolic elements, characteristic of visionary art pieces. Prominently features a central...

Folk Art ceramic trinket jar hand-glazed and decorated naively with floral patterns. Signed - by an un-identified Scandinavian/European ceramist circa 1970-75. Measurements: H: 1...

An Italian popolar oil on canvas depicting Madonna and baby Jesus, framed in a hand carved fruitwood frame. It's in perfect conditions.

Nice early 19th century swedish Folk Art root bowl from Northern Sweden. A genuine wooden bowl with lovely patina. An antique and unique organic wooden bowl. These bowls where espec...

This antique English creamware horse was hand-painted at St. Anthony’s Pottery in Newcastle around the year 1800. This charming figure is modeled in a standing position on a green-gl...

Antique early 19th century folk art wooden funnel carved out of one piece of wood. Ca 1800 Sweden.

This amazing Papago geometric basket has such a unusual design and pattern. Condition is very good with one minor wear on the brim.

Portuguese hand-painted ceramic decorative bowl. Clear glaze on the exterior and on the inside of the bowl a hilly landscape, a clear blue sky and a wanderer. Signed by the artist. ...

This hand woven ,very tightly woven handled basket is in mint condition has handles on each end.So unusual nad great form.

This striking hand-thrown earthenware vessel features an unusual three-handled form and a richly textured surface that celebrates the raw beauty of fired clay. The vessel’s robust si...

Folk Art Polish Wooden Jewelry Box - Hand-Painted with Pyrographic Decor - 1930s Decorative wooden (birch) box featuring finely executed pyrographed ornamentation. Enhanced with ha...

Two Asian gilt bronze Teppanom kneeling Thai sacred angels. Bronze gilded temple guardians in a sitting position. These temple guardians were made in Th...

American Indian hand woven and dyed Pima basket made from devils grass and hemp. Wonderful sunflower pattern on both sides of the basket. Great sturdy and well made basket. Great con...

Striking ceramic table lamp is comprised of hand-sculpted rhino figurine with a bird sitting on its neck; the rhino is mounted on long conical totem pole, formed in coil technique. ...

A collection of 13 vintage Swedish handwoven straw Christmas ornaments. The tradition of using straw for Christmas decorations has deep roots in Swedish culture, dating back to anci...

Vintage wheel thrown stoneware studio pottery vase with incised decoration - finished with a brown glaze - clear glaze to the neck and interior - indistinctly signed on the base rim ...

A wooden bowl produced in Sweden, 19th century.

Set of small bronze animal figurines, France, circa 1950. A charming set of several finely stylized animals. Each piece has a natural dark brown patina, highlighting the sculpted for...

A pair of custom mounted early American late 18th early 19th century hand forged barn door "penny ends" straps that would have been attached to hinges. These would have run the lengt...

Staffordshire, England, circa 1745 – 1760 This charming and unusual figure depicts a seated cat, its body marbled in tones of buff, grey, and warm brown, the patterns flowing like fur beneath a translucent salt glaze. From the crown of its head rises a small candleholder—an enchanting, functional variation that transforms the cat into a decorative light for the Georgian home. The salt-glazed surface has a gentle satin sheen, enlivened by a cobalt wash brushed across the ears and shoulders, a subtle touch of color that draws the eye. The figure is compact and beautifully balanced, exuding both humor and grace: a work of wit and craftsmanship meant to charm and amuse as much as to illuminate. As a pair, this cat with candleholder and its companion cat carrying a mouse form a dialogue of light and life—one playful, one practical—representing the Staffordshire potters’ genius for turning everyday subjects into artful curiosities. Attribution and Significance Within the history of English ceramics, agateware animals represent the marriage of experimentation and domestic charm. They were objects of conversation—proof of a potter’s technical mastery and a household’s refinement. This cat, with its delicate candleholder, captures that artistic playfulness and innovation. The glaze’s clarity, the elegant pose, and the subtle marbling make it not only an artifact of mid-18th-century Staffordshire but also a small masterpiece of whimsy and craft. Scholarly Analysis and Authentication The figure is made from laminated clays of contrasting colors, known as laid agate, a technique perfected in Staffordshire workshops during the 1740s and 1750s. Strata of buff, pale grey, and iron-bearing brown clay were rolled together, pressed into a two-part mold, and luted along the spine before firing. The cat’s body thus shows true through-body marbling: the veining continues through the thickness of the clay, not merely applied on the surface. The candle socket, made from a single buff clay rather than agate, was luted to the head before glazing. This practical choice prevented distortion during firing and was a typical workshop economy seen in other mid-18th-century functional animal forms. The piece was salt-glazed in a wood- or coal-fired kiln into which common salt was introduced near peak temperature. Sodium vapor combined with the silica of the clay to form a thin, glassy coating. Here, the glaze is smooth and even, suggesting the cat was fired within a protective sagger. The underside of the figure is open, revealing the pressed-clay interior. Two or three very small stilt contacts are visible on the bottom ledge, confirming that the figure rested on kiln props during firing rather than being supported from beneath a closed base. The cobalt wash was brushed under the glaze before firing. It fuses permanently into the surface, creating soft haloes of blue wholly consistent with decoration on salt-glazed figures from the Whieldon circle circa 1750-1760. Later 19th-century reproductions employ overpainted enamels that sit atop the glaze. The open underside, authentic stratified body, integrated socket, and original cobalt staining collectively identify this as a genuine product of Staffordshire’s mid-18th-century agateware tradition, most plausibly from the orbit of Thomas Whieldon at Fenton Vivian or a closely related potter. The measured height, modelling, and marbling correspond closely to examples in the Burnap Collection (nos.. 362–363, Nelson-Atkins Museum) and Sotheby’s (2015) — “A Staffordshire agateware cat-form candlestick, circa 1755. Provenance / Condition: Current Condition: Excellent, with one ear repaired at the tip and restoration at the top of the candleholder; the glaze remains bright and continuous across the body and socket. References: Burnap Collection, English Pottery 1675–1825, nos. 362–363. Sotheby’s (2015) — “A Staffordshire agateware cat-form candlestick, circa 1755. Christie’s, London 2010, lot 82. 1stDibs “Staffordshire Agateware Pottery Saltglaze Figure of a Cat,” item ref LU95812370442 Price: $3100 Chipstone Foundation, Marbled Agateware: Techniques and Identification, 2005. Henry Sandon, Staffordshire Pottery, 1970, pp. 52–54. John Howard Antiques, Antique Agateware...

This is an impressive bust made of Plaster and colored like seen in pictures. This beautiful sculpture is hand formed, 20th century. Signed by Artist but can not identify the maker. ...

Rare Swedish antique bowl from the late 1700s. This wooden bowl is oval with a large carved handle on the side, a very unusual detail hardly ever seen on bowls like this. It is made ...

Bring a touch of timeless, organic warmth to your home with this stunning hand-carved wooden bowl. Featuring a deep, rich patina and a rugged, weathered texture, this piece is more t...

Vintage hand-carved candelabra features sculptural three-arm form in solid wood, equipped with white metal inserts with bobeches. Detailed arms and base with tools marks add textural...

This stunning, hand-carved wooden basin is a masterclass in primitive utility. Carved from a single solid block of hardwood, it features a unique "tab" handle and a shallow, generous...

Unusual box for cigars, tobacco or personal smalls. It is hand-tooled and features a hand-carved lid in solid oak. The scene is carved in a style that is expressionistic bordering on...

This hand-sculpted ceramic bust is a striking example of Southwestern studio art, finished in a rich verde blue green glaze with beautiful tonal variations and a subtly mottled surfa...

Fantastic 19th century wall hanging folk sculpture of the English court jester, looks like the joker. This folky cast sculpture looks like it was somethi...

Sculptural woven split bamboo, vase shaped basket features elongated form with two thin handles; the rim is finished with the thin decorative band with knots detail, and the narrow n...

Particularly decorative pocket watch holder, made of hand-carved oak wood, manufactured around 1880 in Germany, probably in the Black Forest region. An exceptionally charming watch ...

A rare and soulful early 19th-century Swedish hand-carved wooden bowl, accompanied by its original iron cannonball, traditionally used for crushing mustard seeds. This evocative pair...

Swedish antique pine hand build wooden kitchen cabinet. Made to be used as a dough plater storage to the left side and a storage to the right side. Fine quality of wood. It is a true...

A beautiful, wonderfully executed and designed Shona stone sculpture by renowned African/ Zimbabwean sculptor/artist Damian Manuhwa (1952-2008) who lived and worked in Zimbabwe. T...

This wonderful original old surface plaque has a great old patina and a hand-carved and painted Indian chief. The Indian is in full original clothes with the feathers in his head. Wi...

A pair of French Henriot Quimper faience statues, or figurines, depicting men playing the traditional Breton bagpipe called a biniou. Polychrome glazed enameled earthenware, hand-pai...

A sculptural vide-poche bowl hand-carved from solid olive wood, dating to the 1970s. This piece exemplifies the expressive quality of traditional gouge carving, with softly hollowed...

Staffordshire pottery pearlware bust with a religious theme which features John Wesley, resting on a plinth base. Decorated 'in the round', decoration to front and reverse. Open bott...

Brass Figural Letter Opener, Bakota Style, Gabon, 20th Century This striking brass letter opener is crafted in the Bakota style of Gabon, Central Africa. The piece displays elegant ...

A wood bowl produced in Sweden, 19th century.

Date / Origin: Staffordshire, England, circa 1745 – 1760 A salt-glazed seated cat with upright ears and grounded paws, holding a small brown mouse in its mouth. The figure is formed ...

Navajo Indian weaving eye dazzler in fantastic colors in very good condition.In black ,grey and red colors .

Set of three Indian figures vividly painted. They appear to be kneeling in prayer two have their hair in buns and the third wears a crown. It is likely that the third blue figure is ...

Folk art: Norwegian lidded box (butter box) crafted in birch with rich woodcarving. The lid finial carved as a seated woman. Lid and rim decorated with reliefs of oak leaves, acorns,...

This original 19th-century wooden box features sturdy iron handles on each side and is painted in a beautiful, aged gray. The box could be used for storage or as a decorative eleme...

A beautifully hand-carved and hand-painted alebrije ram by celebrated Oaxacan master Margarito Melchor Fuentes, one of the pioneering artists responsible for establishing San Martín ...

Signed Art Nouveau Weathered Statue of a Dancer circa 1960 Statue of a Dancing Maiden Sculpted in White Marble Signed Papini A signed marble “di latte” (crushed composite marble) ...

Charming Handwoven Nantucket Style Basket

Hand-Carved and Painted 19th Century Cigar Store Figure. The man is hand carved from one piece of wood. He is probably late 19th century and over pa...

Wonderful cast iron coin bank that has aged beautifully. The red hue is a slightly faded and muted color. The words red goose shoes are imprinted on bo...

Oval Nantucket lightship basket with shaped oak swing handle ending in carved round “lollipop” ends and brass ears. Remnants of the original paper label remains on the bottom. Made...

19th century life sized horse trade sign from a tack shop in Pottsville, PA. Horse is made of cast iron, wood, and papier mâché. The tail and cast iron e...

Unique set of five handmade Folk Art iron candleholders, raised on wavy triangular bases, with tall stems adorned with leaves along their lengths, and topped with large, flat candleh...

Add a splash of artisanal charm and coastal rustic appeal to your decor with this distinctive vintage studio pottery vase. Handcrafted with a keen eye for form and texture, the vesse...

Swedish antique pine and birch wooden storage box. It was left with the natural wood who now have a charming patina. Fine quality of bentwood. It is a true piece from the early 19 ce...

Made by the Yoruba Tribe from Benin it dates back to the 19th century. Created for the royal family.

This early 19thc hand carved dough bowl is most likely Native American Indian.The carving is amazing and has a knot in the wood missing.Condition is very good and sturdy with no cracks.

Very beautiful and decorative wooden bowl made out of pine wood produced in Northern Sweden Sweden.In a very charmy condition with some older repairs adding a lot of character. These...