Folk Art

This is a welded steel sculpture made by furniture creator Jim Rose. It is sustainable design created from salvaged and recycled steel panels left over from his larger projects. These sculptures reference traditional American Folk Art barn house models or bird houses. This sculpture works alone on a shelf or table or can be grouped with other house sculptures by the artist. Each house sculpture is unique in design and color. Jim Rose Structure No. 245 repurposed painted steel 6.50h x 8w x 3d in 16.51h x 20.32w x 7.62d cm JR0333 Jim Rose b. 1966, d. 2023 Bio Born in Indiana, Jim Rose lived in Europe until he returned to the United States to attend college. After one year at Bard College, Jim transferred to the School of the Art Institute in Chicago (SAIC) where he graduated in 1988 with a BFA. His skillful interpretation of the Shaker design is a result of intense research and field study of Shaker furniture, architecture, culture and history. After over two decades of dedicated work, he has mastered the minimalism of the Shaker technique and created his own unique visual vernacular. The quilts of Gee's Bend have become a monumental influence taking this artist's work to new levels of unique interpretation and artistry. His selection of aged steel results in a patina directly related to that of aged wood while his colored strips beautifully mimic worn cloth. Each piece of furniture is masterfully made and intended for daily use. Jim Rose’s steel furniture is featured every year at SOFA Chicago for the past 25 years. Jim Rose b. 1966, Wisconsin Education 1989 B.F.A., Sculpture, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL 1988 Student at Large, Welding Technology, Triton College, Chicago, IL 1985 Undergraduate Photography Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York Awards 2008 Wisconsin Arts Board Fellowship Award, Madison, WI 2005 Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize, Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA 2003 Grant Recipient for Shaker Interpretations in Cast Iron, PA Arts Assoc / WI Arts Board 2003 Arts/Industry Residency Program for Visual Artists, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin Solo Exhibitions 2017 New Work, Tory Folliard Gallery, Milwaukee, WI 2012 Simply Steel, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI 2007 Variation, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2003 New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2001 Shaker in Steel / New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2000 Shaker in Steel / New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 1999 Hands and Heart to Steel III, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL National Exhibitions 2017-2018 SOFA Chicago – Gallery Victor Armendariz 2016 - 1995 SOFA Chicago, New York, Palm Beach - Ann Nathan Gallery 2011 - 2002 Art Chicago - Ann Nathan Gallery Group Exhibitions 2017 Coming Attractions: Inaugural Exhibition, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2017 Living with Art: The Newman Collection, 108 Contemporary, Tulsa, Oklahoma 2016 Form Follows Function: The Intersection of Art and Craft, The Hardy Gallery, Ephraim, Wi 2015 NEO, Chipstone Foundation, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI 2015 ICFF, Furniture Society, Javits Convention Center, New York City, NY 2013 Vahki Revisited, The Enduring Spirit of a Craft Collection” Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, AZ 2013 Fearless Furniture, Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, Indianapolis, IN 2013 Inaugural Exhibition, Museum Wisconsin of Art, West Bend, WI 2012 Sitting Pretty: Furniture from RAM’s Collection, Racine Art Museum, WI 2011 Hiding Places: Memory in the Arts, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, WI 2010 Living with Art, Strohl Art Center, Chautauqua Institution, NY 2009 Summer in Wisconsin, Tory Folliard Gallery, Milwaukee, WI 2009 High Honors, James Watrous Gallery, Madison, WI 2008 Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary, Museum of Art and Design, NY 2007 Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, Art Association, Jackson, WY 2007 Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX (traveling exhibition) 2006 Show us Your Drawers, Herron School of Art, Indianapolis, IN 2006 Marriage of the Minds...

British Sailor's large woolwork of HMS Brunswick, Made by J. H. Miller, Brixton, Circa 1865 The large-scale sailor's woolwork depicts an image of a Royal Navy Second Rate Battleship...

British Sailor's Woolwork of a Royal Navy Second Rate Battleship, Circa 1875 The charming simple sailor's woolie depicts a starboard side view of a Royal Navy second rate battleship...

Fantastic Japanese tin litho toy car from the mid to late fifties. A Chevrolet Station Wagon in excellent vintage condition with minimal wear, practi...

An 18th century folk-art painting on board in wonderful colors including dusty blues and oranges, depicting finely attired characters in period costumes in a bacchanalian outdoor fes...

Huge (Ø 33cm) and heavy (1521grs) Traditional South Tyrolian Wall Plate Manufactured by THUN Bozen History of the company The company was founded in 1950 by Count Otmar and Cou...

British Sailor's Woolwork of Royal Navy Ship, The sailor's woolwork or woolie depicts a starboard view of a Second-Rate Royal Navy Ship with three masts. T...

This bright and colorful circus poster depicts six seated clowns with their backs to the audience and an alphabet letter on their back spelling out the word "Circus". It is a reissued poster by Ringling Brothers from 1971 of one of their original 1936 promotional circus posters. To commemorate their 100th anniversary, in 1971, Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey, produced reissues of some of their select and most famous authentic posters dating from 1883 until the 1930's. There were 30 different posters, and they were advertised as "The only antique posters authorized by the greatest show on...

We offer this fantastic set of 4 Mexican wrestling fighters, made in plastic and hand painted, circa 1970. Excellent vintage conditions.

Truly a majestic Benin Oba. Beautifully and finely hand carved in Ebony hardwood from the 1930's A piece of this quality and stature holds enormous presence...

Danish mangle board (clothing and bedding press) dated 1814. It is made from oak wood which is hand carved and richly decorated abstract geometric flowers and branches with leaves a...

Large early American Antique Copper Bannerette Weather Vane Possibly J. Howard & Co. First-half of the 19th century; Northeastern, USA Copper, iron Approximate size: 24 (h) x 55 (w) x 1 (d) in. This rare and large American scrollwork bannerette weathervane recalls those produced by Jonathan Howard & Co. of West Bridgewater, MA. Further academic research may confirm or deny this possibility and an origin with J.W. Fiske & Co. of New York, shouldn’t be ruled out. Alternatively, this weathervane may also be an entirely independent work from the first half of the 19th century, steeped in the early genesis of weathervanes as an American folk art. This antique weather vane...

This beautifully crafted vintage crucifix is a remarkable piece of religious art, combining the warmth of wood with the intricate detailing of the Christ figure in régule. This cruci...

Exceptional bookcase painted in blue and red with gold leaf carvings. Two large side pillars, with richly carved scrolls, lacquered and gilded wi...

Folk Art carnival punks / knockdown dolls composed of canvas forms lined with cotton fur supported by carved wood bases for added stability / weight, c...

19th century miniature oil on board painting of edelweiss circa 1880. Fine quality desktop painting of edelweiss, presented on a wooden easel. Minor losses to paintwork.

Antique Folk Art Kubbstol from Sweden. A Kubbstol is a dug-out pine trunk chair. It's a primitive construction with a simple design and this particular piece is made from a large lo...

Charming one of a kind hand made diorama or shadow box of a Maine fisherman in his boat. Incredible details from fish in a bucket on board the boat to sea gulls flying above. A Mai...

Folk Art Church Model We are proud to offer a wonderful example of a mid-20th Century folk-art church model. Built from scratch using various material...

This colorful tree of life (árbol de la vida) with a toy like aspect is a unique piece by Marco Antonio Castillo, son of renowned artist Alfonso Castillo. Hand made with natural clay...

Very Scarce Ship’s Figural Transom Carving, Early to Mid 19th Century, a hand carved and hand painted figural plaque of an elegant woman in blue dress with...

Listed as #431 in the Lehman catalogues this wonderful vintage children's wind up toy, manufactured by the prestigious and iconic Lehman Toy Company of Germany; was patented in 1895 (see image--markings under wing ). The toy was made for over 25 years and was quite popular. When wound up using the underside attached clockwork( key (see attached movie) the toy depicts the six legged beetle crawling across the floor by moving it's legs back and forth while flapping it's wings in the air. All the markings "Pat. U.S.A." "D.R.G.M." "Pat April 23, 1895" "Lehman" are clearly marked under the wing (see image). It is lithographed and hand painted in colors of bluish green wings, a red and white head, yellow and black under wings, with red and blackish green legs. This particular example is completely original ,which is highly unusual for this toy as a search of other examples would reveal that one or several of the legs are typically lacking, or repaired, as are the fragile wings as well. There is no restoration and no touch up paint of any kind. to this toy. It is original in every respect. The toy is catalogued as "EPL #431" and documented on page 59 and 60 of the book "Lehman Toys" by Jurgen & Marianne Cieslik, published in 1982. Dimensions: 4 1/4" long x 2" high x 4" wide Provenance: Recently acquired from a highly regarded West Coast collection of antique wind...

"Dancing Bear" and "Dancing Pig" wind up toys were made by the Chein Toy Company, of New York City, circa 1938, about the same time as "Dancing Rabbit" (a...

Original condition traditional Swedish rocking cradle circa 1860. Painted in traditional blue colours with personalised inscribed with 2 births with initials from 1852 and 1855.   R...

Green folk painted Southern yellow pine carriage trunk or strong box. The size is just about perfect for liquor bottles, too. Dovetail construction with hand forged clasp and hinges. The original finish was likely brown and it looks like it got it's first coat...

Contemporary figural unglazed terracotta sculpture of an abstract reclining figure. An homage to sculptor Henry Moore. Made in 2019 by Oklahoma artist Emily Ladow Reynolds. Dimen...

Vintage African Tuareg teapot Mauritania Mid-20th century Tuareg teapot from Mauritania, Africa, Western Sahara. Handcrafted of pewter, copper and brass ...

This exquisite storage or jewelry box features hand-carved bas-relief detailing, showcasing expert craftsmanship. With its generous size and elegant design, this piece is perfect for...

Rare and fabulous 19th century faux book with compass legs as legs. Mustard paint on the legs with Gilt on the pages of the leather bound book. Looks to be original tassle.. Possibly...

Hand painted sign for the services of a "modern" piano teacher. This would likely have meant ragtime or jazz, as these were often referred to as new approaches to the instrument as o...

Small Antique painted blancket chest Measures: H. 31cm - L. 72cm - P. 45cm Rare small chest in painted fir wood. The decorations are geometric, of an intense blue color, with ...

An American Braided room-size carpet from the third quarter of the 20th century in rustic tones. Measures: 8'7'' x 11'2'' Although America (British-America) has been producing rugs since the 16th century it was never industrialized at the time. Colonial America had been importing European rugs through England. However, tariffs after the Revolutionary War...

Vintage 1960s Moroccan pedestal table. hand painted Moroccan side table on a dark maroon background color with floral and geometric designs in blue and ochre colors. Moroccan octagon...

A wrought iron fish fork from the 18th century. Extremely decorative and a piece of pure folk art. Who ever made this made an extra effort to not just make it functional but also so...

Pair of folk art carved wooden ladies' shoes richly decorated with glass beads and cow bone Height 13 cm, length 12.5 cm Original lacquer and colour Around 1900

A 19th century American folk art oil painting on canvas depicting a river scene at dawn with a horse and rider on a bridge over a waterf...

A whimsical and surprisingly decorative Snake constructed of dozens of colorful bottle caps pierced and strung on a length of strong metal wire allowing twists and turns into many co...

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...

American, 1947 Colorful portrait in a mix of folk-pop art by American artist Edwin Weaver Jr, or 'Mr. Eddie', framed in cut bamboo. Bright color and texture define this framed fresco...

Gorgeous vintage money bank. A beautiful decorative item in hand carved wood. Made in Austria, circa 1910s or older as a souvenir bank. Lock is in working condition. The tradition of...

Tall and narrow grandfather floor clock in the original yellow and flower decoration, possible Denmark or Scandinavian for sure, circa 1875. Du...

Perhaps the dropped hand is the most obvious of the Bears 'tells'. But just about every aspect of our painting is Bears, from the landscape background to the positioning of the subje...

A beautiful 19th-century Spanish Colonial Mexican Folk Art ex-voto retablo lámina painting featuring Santo Niño de Atocha (also known as - Holy In...

A fantastic sculpture by Cuban Folk Art artist Saturnino Portuonda "Pucho" Odio (1928-1997) who was known for his animated cultural caricatures and painted wood carvings of his fello...

Carved and painted wood bull sign. Life size head with carved and painted details, real horns fitted to the head by lead sleeves. The top of the head fashioned from a thick sheath of...

An outstanding piece of Folk Art, this Pocket Watch form Lead sign has a painted face with Roman numerals in the 9:00 position. Cast into the outer frame are the words, “Watches, Je...

Almost 17 foot tall redwood animal totem. Animal totems are believed to have spiritual significance. Watching over Pacific Northwest Indian tr...

A large Amish quilt of center diamond pattern made from a blush rose red and pine green chambray cotton and wool blend. The center diamond in the square pattern is supplemented with ...

Explore a classic piece of literature with this antique book by J. Girardin, titled "Le Locataire des Demoiselles Rocher." Published by Hachette, this novel offers a glimpse into historical storytelling and is a notable addition to any vintage book collection...

A very attractive antique early 19th century hand painted folk art Swedish dowry/blanket chest, circa 1820. The sarcophagus shaped lidded top enclosing a large storage area for clothing or bedding, the interior of the lid still possesses the original un-oxidized paint. Both the body and top of the chest retain the original hand painted decoration. The front, top and rear with oval cartouches painted with exotic birds and surrounded by stylized floral & fruiting decoration, each side has a circular cartouche with corresponding decoration. The sides of the chest have the original cast iron carrying handles, the chest is raised upon bracket feet, the chest is clean and aroma free and is ready to store your bedding, clothing or anything else you care to place in it! Condition is very good indeed, the original painting is remarkably intact, no damage or condition issues. This very elegant antique Swedish antique...

Vintage Shooting Lodge Target Plaque dated 1934. A rare and beautiful wooden shooting target plaque with inscriptions. This rare kings plaque was issued by a shooting club...

The Ntomo mask is used during initiation rituals for youths in Bamana societies of West Africa. It is recognizable by its upper part shaped like a comb, with three to eight horns sym...

There is a lot going on in this equestrian themed, bright and colorful circus poster portraying famous early 20th century circus performer "Miss Helen Girard". She is in a horse drawn cart in one image, while two men ride horses in two other images, and Helen Girard in full portrait is featured on the left. Her claim to fame is stated at the bottom "Empress of the Equestrian World" and "Side Saddle Queen". This is a reissued poster by Ringling Brothers from 1971 of one of their original, very early, 1903 promotional circus posters. To commemorate their 100th anniversary, in 1971, Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey, produced reissues of some of their select and most famous authentic posters...

Found in Germany at an estate sale, this hand carved and hand painted duck decoy is perfect for the collector. Well used by a previous hunter the paint has faded through time althoug...

This bright and colorful, action packed circus poster portrays the quintessential Buffalo Bill images with Indians and western scenes, characters in full regalia that were used in his wild west shows...

ABOUT Turn of the century Snowshoe chair with Ash frame, rawhide lacing and steel brackets. These lightweight, portable chairs were used in canoes for...

Early 20th century Folk Art dressing table mirror in the original paint - teal green over black with white trim. The distressed surface paint reveals the black underneath creating a ...

Untouched original surface. Colorful floral vignettes on a 'buttermilk clay' painted surface. Retains original hardware.

Hand carved & hand painted rooster sculpture. Very folky rooster.

This hand carved wood sculpture of a mermaid is in fine condition.It is hand carved and unsigned.So fantastic the surface and carving.