Tri-State Area - Folk Art

A large and graphically stunning asafo flag. Fante flags represent the merger of two cultural traditions, the Akan tradition of combining proverbs with ...

A fabulously hand carved antique neoclassical style Italian Carrara marble bust of Daphne. This bust is of immaculate quality and craftsmanship. Daphne's hair is beautifully hand car...

This Folk Art cobalt blue mask is a real Venetian creation, entirely hand-drawn and handcrafted with gold decor and white stone. Italian Artists have realized this piece in full res...

Folk Art whimsy 'ball in cage' obelisk sculpture whittled from one continuous piece of wood and adhered to a wooden plinth base, circa 1940s. The carved supports holding the two ball...

Fine early 20th Century hand spun indigo cotton and Trans-Sahara silk cloth.

Rustic bud vase by master ceramicist Guido Gambone. Hand-thrown in an alluring organic shape with an elongated neck. The vase depicts a pastoral scene of a shepherd with his herd pai...

American Flag No. 1 by J. Wohnseidler. Arcylic on canvas with hand-applied starfish. Unframed. Signed/titled/dated by artist on back. Measures: 48 inches L x 36 inches H x 1.5 inches D.

- A fresh take on the traditional Postage Stamp pattern, this antique quilt was made by hand around 1940 and is entirely comprised of tiny, graphic indigo polka dots– all offset by c...

American whimsy with traditional 'ball in cage' decoration, all carved and whittled from one continuous piece of wood, circa early 20th century. The bottom tip suggests that this pie...

American Country (20th Century) carved and painted double sided rocking horse.

A stunning and rare artist proof (42/50) by renowned artist Yankel Ginzburg, this acrylic lucite mezuzah is a mesmerizing fusion of tradition and contemporary artistry. The sculptura...

A folk art wall panel hand painted by an itinerant artist in Sweden in 1837 (dated), depicting the nativity, with the three kings on horseback paying homage to Mary seated on a thron...

West Anatolia is one of the largest weaving regions in Turkey. Since the 15th century, Turkish rugs have always been on top of the list for having fine oriental rugs. Oushak rugs su...

A Ulo Akha woman's Tribal headdress adorned with framework of bamboo, beads, pompons, seeds and other unique items. Immerse yourself in the rich cul...

An antique Persian Gabbeh tribal rug handmade by the nomadic Qashqai tribe in South Persian during the early 20th century. One large orange folksy lion prances over the deep red fiel...

This charming 1940s Folk Art / Depression Era Painted Wooden Finial of a Woman's Head would add a cheerfulness and dash of whimsey to any traditional decor The yellow, grey, blues, ...

19th c., Americana, a large scale gilt and forest green painted cast plaster eagle, depicted spread-wing, with crisply detailed overlapping feathers. With mounting bracket on reverse. This is a very handsome example of an iconic form. The combination of the gilt and forest green paint is striking. Depictions of eagles can be seen across American art. The national bird of the United States, the eagle has been used as a symbol of American freedom for centuries. This is a fine example in the style of John Haley Bellamy...

A vintage Persian Gabbeh modernist carpet from the mid-20th century. A vintage Persian Gabbeh rug. The khaki field of this small square tribal scatter is closely covered by a nested ...

Hand dyed Yoruba (Nigeria) cloth from the Esie area, 1950s.

A vintage Tulu Turkish rug from the mid-20th century. A wide plain saturated marsala colored border with a beige open field. No ditzy ornamentation. Totally graphic with a very long ...

Large wood jack.

18th C Catalan wall-hanging money box having original powdery blue paint with original lock plate.

At the turn of the century this type of "corporate head" portrait was very popular. They were often displayed on or in the lobby of the company headquarters. This striking wooden exa...

Spanish Provincial (20th Cent) style painted and carved horse head wall plaque/sign (La Taberna Caballoblanco) (Related item: 049724D).  

The Rust field scattered with minor stylized flower heads, hooked panels and minute cross-motifs around a column of ivory octagonal panels containing radiating flower heads and minut...

A vintage Turkish Anatolian carpet from the mid-20th century.

A charming and expressive vintage sculpture by Marwal Industries, this piece was created in New York during the 1960s, and is a fine example of chalk...

African Salampasu Helmet Mask, carved wood, copper, and raffia, together with metal stand. Mask: 25" H x 10.75" W x 9" D. Provenance: From a Sutton Place Estate.

Hill tribe healing figure carved of solid wood. 19th-early 20th century Golden Triangle area, Southeast Asia Indochina. This is a healing figure used to aid in healing. Arms folded ...

A charming handmade storage piece in the form of a house with a chimney. Executed in the American Folk Art style, this is a charming piece that is both decorative and practical. The ...

English Country (20th Century) painted and carved wall plaque of golf sign.

1840s Indian Katar weapon.

Unique Marasali prayer rug attributed to the Marasali group, this prayer rug from the Shirvan region has a beautiful vegetable dyed navy field and ...

Vintage French Skittle Game ‘Jeu de Quilles de Neuf’,circa 1920. Hand painted, turned pins with wonderful aged patina. Complete set of nine pins with orig...

A large hand-carved stone coin from Indonesia, round center. Smooth finish in flat white. Mounted on a 18" x 8" black metal stand.

Antique Serapi carpets are one of the most sought after rugs particularly in America and England for many years. Antique Serapi rugs are a major draw particularly in big city America...

Ivory Coast hand spun cotton natural indigo cloth, circa 1930-1950.

Tabriz, the capital of the northwestern Iranian province of Azerbaijan, has for centuries enjoyed a great reputation as a centre of Persian culture. Under the benign patronage of Sha...

A Hungarian Folk Art Red Ware Rooster Lidded Jug/Teapot by Imre Szűcs. A black/brown based rooster decorated with white dots and green, yellow and red painted elements. The spout is...

Vintage Italian flag. Vintage Italian flag made by Serpone & Co. Napoli. Italy, Mid-20th Century. Approximate dimensions: 38” H X 60” W

A tall antique Thai freestanding ceremonial drum from the early 20th century, with natural finish, reeded accents and circular flaring base. Born in Th...

American hooked mat size pictorial rug. Measures: 1'7" x 3'1''.

19th century Persian Serapi carpets are some of the most highly prized and sought-after antique Persian carpets in the world. They are characterized by their bold, geometric designs, vivid colors, and exceptional quality. Serapi carpets were originally woven in the Heriz region of northwestern Iran, but the term "Serapi" was coined by Western carpet dealers in the late 19th century to distinguish a higher-quality version of the Heriz carpet. Serapi carpets were made using the finest wool, which was dyed using natural, vegetable-based dyes. The wool was then spun by hand and woven into carpets using a symmetrical knotting technique. One of the defining features of 19th century Persian Serapi carpets is their bold, large-scale geometric designs. These designs often feature medallions, rosettes, and intricate borders, rendered in a palette of rich, saturated colors such as crimson, indigo, and gold. The colors used in Serapi carpets were achieved through a painstaking dyeing process that involved boiling the wool in vats of natural dyes, such as madder root or indigo. Another hallmark of 19th century Persian Serapi carpets is their durability and sturdiness. The wool used to make these carpets was of exceptional quality, with a high lanolin content that made it resistant to wear and tear. Additionally, the carpets were woven with a tight, dense pile that added to their strength and longevity. The size of 19th century Persian Serapi carpets is another factor that sets them apart from other antique Persian carpets. These carpets were typically large, with sizes ranging from 9 feet by 12 feet to 12 feet by 18 feet. Their large size was made custom for use in grand, formal spaces such as ballrooms and reception halls. Overall, 19th century Persian Serapi carpets are considered to be some of the most beautiful and valuable...

Incredible collection of pre-columbian clay sculptures / figures / statues / pottery, mounted and framed. The pieces date from the pre-classic (Formative) period of Meso-American cul...

Beautiful one of a kind African carved wooden sculpture of a woman carrying a basket and a hat. Featured in a rich warmly stained wood, this stunning hand carved sculpture will surel...

Still life painting (Violin, Flowers), Oil on canvas, by Agnes Weinrich, Signed and dated "22", Unframed: 20" x 16", Framed 27.5 x 23". Agnes Weinrich (1873-1946) was an early female, American modernist artist at a time when there was little interest in Modern Art in the USA and when few women were artists. She was a ground breaker in modern art. The painting shown is an important example of her mature phase of her work. A biography from Wiki-pedia follows: Agnes Weinrich (1873–1946) was one of the first American artists to make works of art that were modernist, abstract, and influenced by the Cubist style. She was also an energetic and effective proponent of modernist art in America, joining with like-minded others to promote experimentation as an alternative to the generally conservative art of their time. Early years[edit] Agnes Weinrich was born in 1873 on a prosperous farm in south east Iowa. Both her father and mother were German immigrants and German was the language spoken at home. Following her mother's death in 1879 she was raised by her father, Christian Weinrich. In 1894, at the age of 59, he retired from farming and moved his household, including his three youngest children—Christian Jr. (24), Agnes (21), and Lena (17), to nearby Burlington, Iowa, where Agnes attended the Burlington Collegiate Institute from which she graduated in 1897.[1][2][3] Christian took Agnes and Lena with him on a trip to Germany in 1899 to reestablish links with their German relatives. When he returned home later that year, he left the two women in Berlin with some of these relatives, and when, soon after his return, he died, they inherited sufficient wealth to live independently for the rest of their lives. Either before or during their trip to Germany Lena had decided to become a musician and while in Berlin studied piano at the Stern Conservatory. On her part, Agnes had determined to be an artist and began studies toward that end at the same time.[1][4] In 1904 the two returned from Berlin and settled for two years in Springfield, Illinois, where Lena taught piano in public schools and Agnes painted in a rented studio. At this time Lena changed her name to Helen. In 1905 they moved to Chicago where Agnes studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago under John Vanderpoel, Nellie Walker, and others.[1] In 1909 Agnes and Helen returned to Berlin and traveled from there to Munich, where Agnes studied briefly under Julius Exter, and on to Rome, Florence, and Venice before returning to Chicago.[5] They traveled to Europe for the third, and last, time in 1913, spending a year in Paris. There, they made friends with American artists and musicians who had gathered there around the local art scene. Throughout this period, the work Agnes produced was skillful but unoriginal—drawings, etching, and paintings in the dominant academic and impressionist styles.[1] On her return from Europe in 1914, she continued to study art, during the warm months of the year in Provincetown, Massachusetts,[1] where she was a member of the Provincetown Printers art colony in Massachusetts,[6] and during the colder ones in New York City. In Provincetown she attended classes at Charles Hawthorne's Cape Cod School of Art and in New York, the Art Students League.[1] Drawing of an old woman by Agnes Weinrich, graphite on paper, 11.5 x 7.5 inches. Hawthorne and other artists established the Provincetown Art Association in 1914 and held the first of many juried exhibitions the following year. Weinrich contributed nine pictures to this show, all of them representational and somewhat conservative in style.[1] A pencil sketch made about 1915 shows a figure, probably one of the Portuguese women of Provincetown. Weinrich was a metculous draftsperson and this drawing is typical of the work she did in the academic style between 1914 and 1920. She also produced works more akin to the Impressionist favored by Hawthorne and many of his students. When in 1917 Weinrich showed paintings in a New York women's club, the MacDowell Club, the art critic for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle said they showed a "strong note of impressionism."[7] Broken Fence by Agnes Weinrich, a white-line woodblock made on or before 1917; at left: the woodblock itself; at right: a print pulled from the woodblook. In 1916 Weinrich joined a group of printmakers which had begun using the white-line technique pioneered by Provincetown artist B.J.O. Nordfelt. She and the others in the group, including Blanche Lazzell, Ethel Mars and Edna Boies Hopkins, worked together, exchanging ideas and solving problems.[1][8] A year later Weinrich showed one of her first white-line prints at an exhibition held by the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.[9] Broken Fence, in its two states—the print and the woodblock from which she made it—show Weinrich to be moving away from realistic presentation, towards a style, which, while neither abstract, nor Cubist, brings the viewer's attention to the flat surface plane of the work with its juxtaposed shapes and blocks of contrasting colors. Cows Grazing in the Dunes near Provincetown by Agnes Weinrich, white-line woodcut, 10 x 10 1/2 inches When in 1920 the informal white-line printmakers' group organized its own exhibition, Weinrich showed a dozen works, including one called Cows Grazing in the Dunes near Provincetown. This print shows greater tendency to abstraction than eitherBroken Fence or the prints made by other Provincetown artists of the time. The cows and dunes are recognizable but not presented realistically. The white lines serve to emphasize the blocks of muted colors which are the print's main pictorial elements. Weinrich uses the texture of the wood surface to call attention to the two-dimensional plane—the paper on which she made the print—in contrast with the implicit depth of foreground and background of cows, dunes, and sky. While the work is not Cubist, it has a proto-Cubist feel in a way that is similar to some of the more abstract paintings of Paul Cézanne.[10] By 1919 or 1920, while still spending winters in Manhattan and summers on Cape Cod, the sisters came to consider Provincetown their formal place of residence.[1][11][12][13] By that time they had also met the painter, Karl Knaths. Like themselves a Midwesterner of German origin who had grown up in a household where German was spoken, he settled in Provincetown in 1919. Agnes and Knaths shared artistic leanings and mutually influenced each other's increasing use of abstraction in their work.[1][14] The sisters and Knaths became close companions. In 1922 Knaths married Helen and moved into the house which the sisters had rented. He was then 31, Helen 46, and Agnes 49 years old. When, two years later, the three decided to become year-round residents of Provincetown, Agnes and Helen used a part of their inheritance to buy land and materials for constructing a house and outbuildings for the three of them to share. Knaths himself acquired disused structures nearby as sources of lumber and, having once been employed as a set building for a theater company, he was able to build their new home.[15] Weinrich was somewhat in advance of Knaths in adopting a modernist style. She had seen avant-garde art while in Paris and met American artists who had begun to appreciate it. On her return to the United States she continued to discuss new theories and techniques with artists in New York and Provincetown, some of whom she had met in Paris. This loosely-knit group influenced one another as their individual styles evolved. In addition to Blance Lazzell, already mentioned, the group included Maude Squires, William Zorach, Oliver Chaffee, and Ambrose Webster. Some of them, including Lazzell and Flora Schofield had studied with influential modernists in Paris and most had read and discussed the influential Cubist and Futurist writings of Albert Gleizes and Gino Severini.[16][17] Mature style[edit] Woman with Flowers by Agnes Weinrich, circa 1920, oil on canvas, 34 x 30 1/4 inches, exhibited at the Provincetown Art Association exhibition of 1920, made available courtesy of the Association. Two of Weinrich's paintings, both produced about 1920, mark the emergence of her mature style. The first, Woman With Flowers, is similar to one by the French artist, Jean Metzinger called Le goûter (Tea Time) (1911).[18] Red Houses by Agnes Weinrich, circa 1921, oil on canvas on board, 24.25 x 25.5 inches; exhibited "Red Houses" at Fifth Annual Exhibition of the Society of Independent Artists. Like much of Metzinger's work, Le goûter was discussed in books and journals of the time—including one called Cubism co-authored by Metzinger himself.[19] Because the group with which Weinrich associated read about and discussed avant-garde art in general and Cubism in particular, it is reasonably likely that Weinrich was familiar with Metzinger's work before she began her own. The second painting, Red Houses, bears general similarity to landscapes by Cézanne and Braque. Both paintings are Cubist in style. However, with them Weinrich did not announce an abrupt conversion to Cubism, but rather marked a turning toward greater experimentation. In her later work she would not adopt a single style or stylistic tendency, but would produce both representative pictures and ones that were entirely abstract, always showing a strong sense of the two-dimensional plane of the picture's surface. After she made these two paintings neither her subject matter nor the media she used would dramatically change. She continued to employ subjects available to her in her Provincetown studio and the surrounding area to produce still lifes, village and pastoral scenes, portraits, and abstractions in oil on canvas and board; watercolor, pastel, crayon and graphite on paper; and woodblock prints.[20] Possessing an outgoing and engaging personality and an active, vigorous approach to life, Weinrich promoted her own work while also helping Karl Knaths to develop relationships with potential patrons, gallery owners, and people responsible for organizing exhibitions. With him, she put herself in the forefront of an informal movement toward experimentation in American art. Since, because of her independent means, she was not constrained to make her living by selling art, she was free to use exhibitions and her many contacts with artists and collectors to advance appreciation and understanding of works which did not conform to the still-conservative norm of the 1920s and 1930s.[1][21][22] Early in the 1920s, critics began to take notice of her work, recognizing her departure from the realism then prevailing in galleries and exhibitions. Paintings that she showed in 1922 drew the somewhat dry characterization of "individualistic.",[23] and in 1923 her work drew praise from a critic as "abstract, but at the same time not without emotion."[24] In 1925 Weinrich became a founding member of the New York Society of Women Artists. Other Provincetown members included Blanche Lazzell, Ellen Ravenscroft, Lucy L'Engle, and Marguerite Zorach. The membership was limited to 30 painters and sculptors all of whom could participate in the group's exhibitions, each getting the same space.[23][25][26] The group provided a platform for their members to distinguish themselves from the genteel and traditionalist art that women artists were at that time expected to show[27] and, by the account of a few critics, it appears their exhibitions achieved this goal.[1][28][29][30] In 1926 Weinrich joined with Knaths and other local artists in a rebellion against the "traditional" group that had dominated the Provincetown Art Association. For the next decade, 1927 through 1937, the association would mount two separate annual exhibitions, the one conservative in orientation and the other experimental, or, as it was said, radical.[31][32] Both Weinrich and Knaths participated on the jury that selected works for the first modernist exhibition.[11] Still Life by Agnes Weinrich, circa 1926, oil on canvas, 17 x 22 inches. Permission to use granted by Christine M. McCarthy, Executive Director, Provincetown Art Association and Museum. The painting was the gift of Warren Cresswell. Weinrich's painting, Still Life, made about 1926, may have been shown in the 1927 show. Representative of some aspects of her mature style, it is modernist but does not show Cubist influence. The objects pictured are entirely recognizable, but treated abstractly. Although fore- and background are distinguishable, the objects, as colored forms, make an interesting and visually satisfying surface design. In 1930 Weinrich put together a group show for modernists at the GRD Gallery in New York. The occasion was the first time a group of Provincetown artists exhibited together in New York. For it she selected works by Knaths, Charles Demuth, Oliver Chaffee, Margarite and William Zorach, Jack Tworkov, Janice Biala, Niles Spencer, E. Ambrose Webster, and others.[1][23] Later years[edit] Weinrich turned 60 on July 16, 1933. Although she had led a full and productive life devoted to development of her own art and to the advancement of modernism in art, she did not cease to work toward both objectives. She continued to work in oil on canvas and board, pastel and crayon on paper, and woodblock printing. Her output continued to vary in subject matter and treatment. For example, Still Life with Leaves, circa 1930 (oil on canvas, 18 x 24 inches) contains panels of contrasting colors with outlining similar to Knaths's style. Movement in C Minor, circa 1932 (oil on board, 9 x 12 inches) is entirely abstract. It too relates to Knaths's work, both in treatment (again, outlined panels of contrasting colors) and in its apparent relationship to music, something in which Knaths was also interested. Fish Shacks...

A tall antique Thai freestanding ceremonial wooden drum from the early 20th century, with natural finish, carved accents and circular flaring base. Create...

A pair of over-scale laundry pincers used at the turn of the century by a laundress in a great country house like that depicted in Downton Abbey for remo...

Stunning futuristic android bust by W. Beaupre. Bust is embellished with intricate gold chain, pearls and vintage jewelry findings. The atte...

Nice, whimsical Folk Art chain whittled from one continuous piece of wood (spruce, in this case). One end features a hook, the other a clasp. The wood h...

Antique Serapi carpets are one of the most sought after rugs particularly in America and England for many years. Antique Serapi rugs are a major draw particularly in big city America...

19th/20th Century Oil Painting of Kittens in a Basket at Feeding. A stunning detailed oil painting in a fine carved gilt gold frame depicting a group of kittens eating and drinking...

Early 20th c., England, a hammered and repousse decorated copper sheet metal over wood box, the hinged slated lid decorated with in Arts & Crafts style. A wonderful Liberty & Co. A...

Hand carved and painted mint green fish souvenir spool from Nantucket Island (ca. 1940s, MA, USA). The fishing twine is connected to a small metal hook affixed to the fish's mouth. Warm patina / good age commensurate with history (small spots of wood / paint loss along with crazing). Small but impressive vintage fishing collectible...

A late 20th century Turkish rug depicting 2 lions outlined in yellow and a pink sheep outlined in light blue on a brown field. they all seem pretty happy, right? dated 1980 Measures...

Bakshaish is a town on the banks of the Talke Rud River in the Heriz region of Northwest Persia. Situated in the mountainous region 60 miles east of the large city of Tabriz, Bakshai...

Navajo rugs and blankets are textiles produced by Navajo people of the four corners area of the United States. Navajo textiles are highly rega...

A hand-carved sewing box stand.

Charming outsider art charger / decorative plate depicting a jovial young girl. Pleasant color palette and figure with age-appropriate crazing to the glaze...

A hand-carved stone coin from Indonesia, white color. Round center. Mounted on a black metal stand. Dimensions: 30 inches in diameter, 3 inches thick. Height: 35 inches (mounted on a...