Steel Primitives

Charming vintage set of six hand-embroidered cotton kitchen towels, dated 1940–1950. Each towel is decorated with colorful embroidered chickens and roosters, presented in cheerful and expressive scenes described as having a distinctive “vacation essence.” The embroidery is carefully executed, with lively details and a playful folk-art character that gives each piece its own personality. These towels reflect the mid-century tradition of transforming practical household textiles into decorative objects. During this period, kitchen linens were often embellished with hand embroidery, bright colors, and familiar domestic motifs. Chickens and roosters were especially appealing subjects because they evoked the rural landscape, the household garden, the farmyard, and the warmth of everyday country life. Each towel is further personalized with a short embroidered word—“GRIP,” “PIP,” “FLIP,” “CLAP,” “TRIP,” or “CHIP”—adding a playful graphic element to the set. Rather than being anonymous utility pieces, these towels were created to bring beauty, color, and personality into the kitchen. They represent the idea that even ordinary domestic tasks could be surrounded by creativity and charm. The hand embroidery and animal imagery place this group within the tradition of folk art and handmade domestic textiles. Their decorative quality makes them particularly suitable for display: they can be layered over one another, hung individually, arranged on an open shelf, or incorporated into a curated kitchen textile grouping. They would also make a wonderful addition to a collection of vintage embroidered linens...

This is a 100% Original Painted Swedish Trunk Art dated 1818. the trunk was found in a barn resting on its back in mud, it was in such bad condi...

A wonderful vintage wooden butter mold and press, constructed as a rectangular box with its original removable lid and fitted wooden plunger. Originally used to shape freshly churned...

This is a charming, very rustic hooded rocking cradle with an interesting and unusual “bird house” with a circular opening, built into the shallow hood,...

Charming vintage set of seven Days of the Week kitchen towels, featuring hand-embroidered Dutch girls, with one towel representing each day of the week. Each towel is made from a cr...

A Swedish washboard in pine dated 1850 with owner initials AAS The farmers and country-side folks were proud of the few things they owned and used to carve their initials and to date...

This distinctive collection brings together eighteen antique and vintage bottle openers and corkscrews, varied in form, material, mechanism, and visual character. The group includes ...

Hand-sewed rice straw art by Arko. Title: Untitled This work has the feelings of contemporary tribal art, contemporary craft art, created with the respect for wild nature. Arko is a ...

This is an antique metal flour sifter bin, commonly known as a Hoosier cabinet flour bin, used for storing and dispensing flour. Designed to hold flour for baking, featuring a built-...

Classic icon from the last century. Once used in every household, now its cherished for its simplicity and beauty. Cast in it's lid is the ancient symbol of Rome, She wolf with her b...

Hand-sewed rice straw art by Arko. Title: A head-sea over the night sky (Small model) This work has the feelings of contemporary, tribal art, contempora...

Included: Natural Wood Shillelagh / Knobstick with a large handle, naturally occurring burl or root-ball knob carved into a bulbous, ergonomic handle. The shaft is formed from a sin...