Illinois - Folk Art

In many pre-colonial regions of Africa, iron was so valuable that tools often doubled as currencies for rare but significant transactions. This large iron form is a currency piece from the Afo peoples of northern Nigeria, and is modeled after the blade of a hoe. Used to till the hard soil and harvest crops, the hoe was highly valued as a symbol of the community's reliance on the earth and traditional agriculture. With its clean lines and irregular surface texture, the currency blade...

With a simple Silhouette and rich surface texture, this early 20th century metal-cut weathervane is a charming example of American Folk Art. Adding a decorative touch to the topmost ...

To cure mental and physical ailments, Yoruba priests and diviners invoke the aid of Osanyin, the god of herbal medicines. Used in divination rituals to cure the afflicted, this iron ...

To cure mental and physical ailments, Yoruba priests and diviners invoke the aid of Osanyin, the god of herbal medicines. Used in divination rituals to cure the afflicted, this iron ...

Like other African everyday ceramics, Bamileke storage pots are revered for their simple forms yet astonishing beauty. Each is hand shaped and fired in the open. They are generally s...

Ovoid pots were an elegant storage solution in African tribal life. This beautifully balanced example is attributed to the Toussian people of Western Burkina Faso. Masterfully made to protect its contents from the elements, pots such as this one were coiled by female ceramists to hold food or personal...

Sometimes called a "Bura bell" due to its shape, this sculptural terracotta form would have been a critical component of burial rituals of the Bura people of Niger. Buried with its flared mouth facing down, this cylindrical storage...

20th century East African grain bowls with handles pair (two pieces in set). From left to right A) 10.5" height x 10" diameter B) 8.5" height x 9" diameter.

Starring Jean Claude Van-Damme and Dolph Lundgren, Universal Soldier was a pulpy action/sci-fi from the early 1990s. The film's international success is...

When this powerful figure is engaged at Baga ceremonies, it directs the movements of the dancer handling it. Held in one’s hands or worn on the head, the figure becomes one with the ...

Consisting of lighter and darker woods laminated together for strength and geometry, this handmade chair sculpture had to have been a work of art brut. Round seat back echoed in the ...

Stamped and cut polished metal tribal mask. Foliate headdress, pierced and plated lower lip with pierced ears joining together in a necklace. Three dimensional with lacquered black b...

Nearly six feet tall, this one-of-a-kind sculpture is created from carved wood and vibrant multicolored lacquer. Bright reds, blues, greens, yellow, orange and black. Signed "J.A. Bi...

This finely crafted piece was made high in the mountains above Thailand, Laos and Burma (modern day Myanmar) by an indigenous hill tribe. The Yao people are skilled silversmiths who ...

Starring Bryan Leung, "Cantonen Iron Kung Fu" was a martial arts film from Hong Kong made in 1979. Frequently, theaters in Ghana were unable to import off...

Pair of Murano glass carnivale masks. Handblown and molded gold flecked black cased glass with infused colorful circular details.

Vijaypath was a Bollywood action hit in 1994. It's critically acclaimed soundtrack topped charts across the world and became one of the most recognizable in India's history. The film...

Starring Dolph Lundgren, Bridge of Dragons was a pulpy action/romance from the late 1990s. The film's international success is evident in this hand-pain...

This hand embroidered shoulder is from the Akha tribe and has been framed for display on a wall. The Akha are an indigenous hill tribe who live in small villages at higher elevations...

Hand puppets, like this one from China’s Zhejiang region, have been a popular form of entertainment for centuries. In the late 19th early-20th century this tiny robed gentleman proba...

Equisite pair of cast brass Carnivale masks mounted on black marble plinth bases. Very nicely patinated.

Just in time for the season, an outsider art child like Santa Claus painting done in acrylic on brown paper. Framed in a red lacquered wood and g...

Awesome American pine original paint Child's Cupboard finished in a stunning Georgian Blue with glass knobs. The back board on top of the piece can be removed upon request-- without ...

After collecting antique English bead-work for over 40 years, we believe this fabulous pillow to be one of the finest examples in existence. The panel depicting a much earlier era, w...

Centuries ago, a woven reed fisherman’s basket such as this would have been common in rural China as an everyday item, used until it became worn through. This hand-woven example rema...

Vintage American road sign for Highway One has a striking graphic impact in look, texture and size. Measures 2 feet x 2 feet and has definitely seen some usage. Great patina and most...

This early 20th century figurine is hand-carved of bone to depict an Indian soldier holding a musket rifle. Modeled after Sowar cavalrymen who served under the British East India Com...

This exquisite 1920s American copper weathervane, found in Connecticut, features a captivating depiction of a Patchen horse with a sulky and rider, emblematic of the era's folk art t...

This early 20th century figurine is hand-carved of bone to depict an Indian soldier holding a musket rifle. Modeled after Sowar cavalrymen who served under the British East India Com...

Bronze and iron locomotive railroad bell.  

Made from found industrial objects, this face takes on different looks at every angle. A wedge, sprockets, gears are adhered to a found painted steel plate to complete this "Flatlay Face" Jim Rose Flatlay Face No. 05, 2021 found industrial objects 4.50h x 10.75w x 10.75d in 11.43h x 27.30w x 27.30d cm JR0299 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, Fairfield Center for Contemporary Art, Sturgeon Bay, WI 2006 27th Annual Contemporary Crafts, Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, AZ 2006 Containers of All Dimensions, Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, AZ 2005 Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA 2004 Right at Home: American Studio Furniture, Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. 2004 American Collections, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI 2004 More Than Drawers-Wisconsin Cabinets, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI 2004 Objects of Wonder, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI 2003 Planting, Potting and Pruning, Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, WI 2003 Men at Work, Miller Art Museum, Sturgeon Bay, WI 2002 Case Pieces: Contemporary Studio Furniture, Elvehjem Museum of Art, Univ of WI-Madison 2002 Sitting Pretty: Contemporary Wisconsin Chairs, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI 2001 Anything with a Drawer - Award Recipient, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ 2001 23rd Annual Contemporary Crafts - Award Recipient, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ 2000 New Talent in Craft, Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, Wisconsin 2000 Who Knows Where or When, Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, Wisconsin 1999 The End is Near! Artists look at the 20th Century, Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, WI Selected collections Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. Racine Art Museum, Racine, Wisconsin Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, Arizona The Museum of Arts and Design, New York, New York John Michael Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin Kohler Company, Kohler, Wisconsin Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, Arkansas Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, Indianapolis, Indiana The Chipstone Foundation, Fox Point, Wisconsin Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend, Wisconsin Publications “Selected Artists of Door County” Stonehill Publishing, 2016 “Galvanized Chest” Door County Living Magazine, Autumn 2012 “100 Artists of the Midwest” Schiffer Books, 2012 “Piecework” American Craft Magazine, February 2012 “Hiding Places, Memory in the Arts” John Michael Kohler Arts Center, June 2011 “Second Lives, Remixing the Ordinary” Museum of Arts and Design, NY, August 2008 “Studio Furniture” Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, DC, May 2008 “Discoveries by Designers” Architectural Digest, December 2005 “Contemporary Metal Furniture” Metalsmith Magazine, Winter 2003 “Studio Case Furniture: The Inside Story” American Craft Magazine, October 2002 “Contemporary Studio Case Furniture: The Inside Story” Elvehjem Museum of Art, 2002 “Chicago Style...

This late-20th century brass bell is simple in construction but mighty in use. With a resounding ding, this petite bell is a perfect addition to any tabletop landscape.

Charming donkey and goat figurines from the great master and innovator of Modern Italian Ceramics, Guido Gambone. Signature and famous donkey mark on bot...

A found object is a natural or man-made item, or fragment of an item that is found by an artist and kept because of some intrinsic interest the artist sees in it. Beginning with Picasso, who incorporated newspapers and matchboxes into his cubist collages and constructions, this idea has been carried forward. It was popular with the Dada and Surrealist movements and with such great artists as Damien Hurst and Henry Moore. Here, self-taught artist Rick Farrell...

1950's light up double sided beer mug sign. It works.

A beautiful contemporary Tibetan round beaded box incorporating thousands of turquoise glass beads and a circle of shells on the lid handstitched onto a black...

Late 19th century American mail bags. Has been power washed Overall height is 26" including the height of the straps.

20th Century painting by Joe Boudreau, untitled #2. This untitled work was painted with acrylic, house paint, oil and water colored paint by Chicago arti...

American folk-art canoe, probably from Alaska, but could also be American Indian. Has quite a bit of age to it and I would expect it was made in the early 1800s. The canoers are made...

Ancient Roman Carnelian Intaglio. An intaglio is defined as a small Gemstone, generally semi-precious, that has been carved with images or inscriptions only on the face. This style of carving is the opposite of the cameo technique. The engraving of gemstones was a major luxury art form in the ancient world and an important one in some later periods. This particular Intaglio is Carnelian and dates from the second century AD and shows the head of a figure in profile. It is in very nice original condition and would be ideal for making into a ring. The word Intaglio comes from the Italian word intagliare, meaning “to engrave” or “cut into.” Intaglio describes the process in which an image is engraved into a stone, creating an image in the negative. When a stone carved in this way is pressed into hot wax...