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Matched Pair of Cat Carvings by Linvel Barker, Kentucky
$12,000per set
£9,023.03per set
€10,477.93per set
CA$16,757.75per set
A$18,585.58per set
CHF 9,760.24per set
MX$228,244.18per set
NOK 123,555.33per set
SEK 116,514.33per set
DKK 78,176.88per set
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About the Item
A rare and likely one-of-a-kind matching pair of carved cat sculptures by self-taught American folk artist Linvel Barker (1921–2004), created in 1996. Born in rural eastern Kentucky, Barker worked much of his life as a metalworker and machinist in the coal and fabrication industries. It wasn’t until his retirement in 1984, at the age of 63, that he began carving wood—guided by instinct, memory, and a profound respect for natural materials. What emerged was a deeply personal and now-celebrated body of work that bridges function, craft, and expressive form.
Barker’s process was simple but intentional: he rough-cut figures on a bandsaw and finished them by hand, often in close collaboration with his wife, Irene Barker, who helped smooth, refine, and sand each sculpture. Together, they worked in quiet partnership from their home in Olive Hill, Kentucky, creating a small but deeply meaningful output. Barker’s carvings were always left unpainted, allowing the character of the wood to shine through. As he put it, “There ain’t no paint in wood, and you don’t need none.”
This matching pair of carved cats, created in 1996, is especially rare. While individual figures by Barker do appear from time to time, true pairs—carved together, with mirrored or complementary forms—are virtually unheard of. A nearly identical cat is prominently featured on the spine of the book Contemporary American Folk Art: A Collector’s Guide by Chuck and Jan Rosenak, underscoring his importance within the folk art canon.
Barker’s work is increasingly scarce on the open market. Many of his most iconic carvings have entered permanent museum and institutional collections, including the American Folk Art Museum in New York, the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, and the Rosenak Collection, now part of the Smithsonian Institution’s archives. As a result, surviving pieces—especially those in matched sets—have become highly sought after by collectors of American vernacular, outsider, and self-taught art.
This pair reflects all the hallmarks of Barker’s best work: honesty, humor, a deep sense of form, and a reverence for the material itself. With their rarity, presence, and soulful execution, they stand as both a personal expression and a disappearing artifact of one of America’s great late-in-life artistic voices.
- Creator:Linvel Barker (Artist)
- Dimensions:Height: 17.5 in (44.45 cm)Width: 12 in (30.48 cm)Depth: 5.5 in (13.97 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Folk Art (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1990-1999
- Date of Manufacture:1996
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. legs have small expansion cracks between the legs and tail, this is normal due to age.
- Seller Location:Kilmarnock, VA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU88306002713
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