Early 20th Century 'The Virginian' Cigar Store Indian

A rare and visually arresting pair of hand-sculpted Murano glass figures by Archimede Seguso, dating to the 1940s. These elegant depictions of peasant farm workers are infused with a...

A powerful 20th-century cast bronze Expressionist bust, imbued with raw psychological energy and sculptural immediacy. Evocative of The Scream by Edvard Munch, the distorted features...

A monumental carved panel in solid Narra wood, attributed to José P. Alcántara—one of the most celebrated woodcarvers of the 20th century and a revered figure in the Philippines, whe...

Beautiful pair of Karl Hagenauer style Nubian andirons made of cast bronze. Showing early modernist aesthetics and stylized deco features.

The cigar store Indian originated as a tradition, not in the United States but in Europe, where carved “Virginie men,” as Europeans called native Americans, were used for advertising...

Cigar or Tobacco Shop Trade Sign, Carving of an Indian Chief This charming and very rare piece, this is a fine example of an American favourite the Cigar Store Indian Counter Top Tra...

A 20th Century wood carved male figure, a 'Cigar Store Indian' with original polychrome decoration. A now controversial subject, but none the less charming rendition, of a native North American man originally probably used as an advertising figure. Wonderful quality of carving capturing the stance of the man looking out to the distance, hair flowing to his back and plait to the side, all the details of his costume, his native dress and hairpipe breastplate (suggesting he is possibly a Comanche) and chest ornament, apron, trousers, mocassins, shield and arrows. The original Polychrome decoration has weathered beautifully as has the wood itself to present a sculpture that would adorn any collection or interior. Because of the general illiteracy of the populace, early store owners used descriptive emblems or figures to advertise their shops' wares. American Indians and tobacco had always been associated because American Indians introduced tobacco to Europeans. As early as the 17th century, European tobacconists used figures of American Indians to advertise their shops. Because European carvers had never seen a Native American, these early cigar-store "Indians" looked more like Africans with feathered headdresses and other fanciful, exotic features. These carvings were called "Black Boys" or "Virginians" in the trade. Eventually, the European cigar-store figure...

Samuel Robb tobacco trade sign Indian princess (1851-1928). Carved and polychrome painted wood. Colors are bright in tones of red, blue, and yellow. With feathered headdress. Late 19...