1950s Primitives

Impressive Danish carved and painted tape loom, Denmark. Tape looms were historically used to weave narrow bands of fabric, such as belts, ribbons, and strap...

Exceptional collection of nine antique apothecary bottles, individually sourced and thoughtfully assembled into a striking decorative composition. The bottles vary in height, silhouette and proportion, creating a beautifully balanced arrangement of green glass with an unmistakable historical presence. The collection includes small pharmacy bottles, taller storage bottles, narrow-necked vessels and rounded forms, each reflecting the practical diversity of the traditional chemist’s shop. Their variations in size suggest that they were originally used for different preparations, quantities and dispensing purposes. Some may have held medicinal mixtures, tinctures, botanical extracts, aromatic preparations or other pharmaceutical compounds commonly prepared and sold by apothecaries. The rich green coloration is one of the most characteristic features of the group. During the 19th century, green and blue-green glass was widely used for pharmacy bottles, particularly in Europe and Britain. The color was associated with traditional apothecary glassware and, in some cases, helped protect light-sensitive contents. Green bottles were also used for substances that required visual distinction within the pharmacy, although color alone does not identify a particular medicine or poison. Ribbing, unusual shapes, special stoppers and printed or embossed warnings were often used for that purpose. These bottles belong to the world of the Victorian pharmacy, when an apothecary was simultaneously a medical practitioner, chemist, compounder and retailer. Medicines were prepared in small quantities, measured by hand and dispensed in containers selected according to the substance and the required dosage. Before standardized industrial packaging became widespread, the bottle itself was an essential part of the medical experience. Their forms also reveal the evolution of glassmaking. Many antique pharmaceutical...

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...

African vintage wood carving. In my organic, contemporary, vintage and mid-century modern aesthetic.    

Rare painted iron standing floor lamp made to burn oil but converted to electricity. Nice lines and detail with upturned feet, scroll work and finial at top. See measurements below.

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...

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 ...

A beautifully timeworn antique French cutting board hand-carved from a single thick piece of hardwood. This authentic primitive kitchen object features a substantial rectangular form...

Antique carved and decorated ship's figurehead, circa 1890, depicting a regal bird with a beak. The sculpture is in original paint. Although there has been much paint loss and age cr...

A beautifully timeworn antique French cutting board hand-carved from a single thick piece of hardwood. This authentic primitive kitchen object features a substantial rectangular form...

This pair of antique folk art carved wall plaques are unsigned, but believed to have originated from Greece in approximately 1920. These circular wall plaques are done with a softwoo...

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...

Folky hand-carved dog head found in the midwest.

Large ebony wood African families tree sculpture. Measure: 18".

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...