USA - Folk Art

A finely carved Baroque period architectural element, now fashioned as a sculptural bracket shelf. Hand-crafted by a master-artisan in the 18th century, originally part of a corbel...

Early 20th Century Musical Birds Automaton. Two automated singing birds with strong voices amidst foliage in a “baroque” style gilded brass cage. The Birds take turns singing to each...

A charming pair of vintage Mexican folk art hand carved and painted Infant Jesus religious figures. circa 1960 Handmade in Mexico, mid-20th centu...

Bj0rn Wiinblad Christmas Plate 1978 "Angel with Harp". limited edition 11 inches diameter. Bjørn Wiinblad porcelain Christmas plate 1978, produced by Rosenthal. Dimensions: 11.25 in....

A lovely angel, his right hand extended as if to touch something or hold something. He appears very calm and peaceful, clothed in a partial shroud which is draped over his shoulder...

A large Saint John the Baptist santos sculpture, 18th century. 17 ½ inches wide by 14 inches deep by 43 inches tall

A fine antique 18th century Dutch Delft pottery tile. Depicting a mermaid in the ocean wringing a snake with her hands. Simply a wonderful Dutch Delft tile! Date: 18th Cent...

A scarce Baroque Period European antique hand carved and painted wood santo altar figure, 17th/18th century, the religious folk art sculpture depicting Ma...

Italian Grand Tour Corinthian Style Stone / Marble Model of Ruins, Sienna Marble, Statue / Sculpture. Grand Tour Giallo Antico Marble Model of the Temple of Castor & Pollux. A very fine and early Roman neoclassical period grand tour Sienna...

18th century exceptional Italian carved wood and polychromed figure depicting baby Jesus holding the world in his hand, he has halo made from sterling silver and the globe is also st...

A truly magnificent and wonderful large hand-carved Italian Baroque wood church angel from the 18th Century. This work, which at one point was likely pol...

A stunning antique Italian Baroque style silvered metal gilded wood monstrance reliquary. circa 1770-1820 Handmade in Italy in the late 18th / early 19th century, commissioned by the church to display an important religious relic, sculptural painted wood form, mounted with decorative silver repousse metal facing, open oval window where the philatory relic was once housed, rising on a gold gilt painted shaped plinth base. Dimensions: (approx) 17" High, 8" Wide, 5" Deep, 1.25lbs History: Reliquaries (also referred to as a shrine or châsse in French), are containers used to protect and display relics. A portable reliquary may be called a fereter, and a chapel in which it is housed a feretory. A monstrance, also known as an ostensorium (or an ostensory), is a vessel used in Roman Catholic, Old Catholic, High Church Lutheran and Anglican churches for the display on an altar of some object of piety, such as the consecrated Eucharistic host during Eucharistic adoration or Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. It is also used as reliquary for the public display of relics of some saints. The use of reliquaries became an important part of Christian practices from at least the 4th century, initially in the Eastern Churches, which adopted the practice of moving and dividing the bodies of saints much earlier than the West, probably in part because the new capital of Constantinople, unlike Rome, lacked buried saints. Relics are venerated in the Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and some Anglican Churches. Reliquaries provide a means of protecting and displaying relics. While frequently taking the form of caskets, they range in size from simple pendants or rings to very elaborate ossuaries. The relics were enshrined in containers crafted of or covered with gold, silver, gems, and enamel. These objects constituted a important form of artistic production across Europe and Byzantium throughout the Middle Ages. Many were designed with portability in mind, often being exhibited in public or carried in procession on the saint's feast day or on other holy days. Pilgrimages often centered on the veneration of relics. The faithful often venerate relics by bowing before the reliquary or kissing it; those churches which observe the veneration of relics distinguish between the honor given to the saints and the worship that is due to God alone. Sixteenth-century reformers such as Martin Luther opposed the use of relics since many had no proof of historical authenticity and objected to a cult of saints. Many reliquaries, particularly in northern Europe, were destroyed by Calvinists or Calvinist sympathizers during the Reformation...

Early 18th century Italian carved and dovetailed walnut alms box, circa 1725 Large dovetails and old handwrought nails give this small scale box a hea...

Late 18th century brass nutcracker, probably from Denmark. The brass cracker top glows and is balanced by the brass ends with petite ball tips. Strong warm wooden handles are the p...

A fine and charming pair of Austrian 19th century polychromed majolica hanging wall sculptures of an elderly couple peeking through a window, probably by Friedrich Goldscheider (Goldscheider'sche Porzellan-Manufactur und Majolica-Fabrik.) Each wall sculpture depicting an elderly man wearing glasses and a traditional cap with his arms extended forward as if it was reading a book or a newspaper. The other depicting an elderly lady, also peeking through a window, wearing a laced cap with a bow tie and shawl over her shoulders, her arms are also extended forward as if it was reading a book or a newspaper. The male figure stamped on the back "78 - II ." The lady figure stamped on the back "37 - 79." Vienna, circa 1890-1900. Man's height: 16 1/2 inches (41.9 cm.) Man's width: 13 3/4 inches (34.9 cm.) Depth: 8 1/2 inches (21.6 cm.) Lady's height: 15 1/2 inches (39.4 cm.) Lady's width: 13 3/4 inches (34.9 cm.) Lady's depth: 6 1/2 inches (16.5 cm.) Goldscheider Manufactory and Majolica Factory (German: Goldscheider'sche Porzellan-Manufactur und Majolica-Fabrik, (now) Goldscheider Keramik) is an Austrian ceramic manufactory. In 1885, Friedrich Goldscheider came from the small Bohemian city of Pilsen to Vienna and founded the Goldscheider Manufactory and Majolica Factory. It became one of the most influential ceramic manufactories of terracotta, faience and bronze objects in Austria with subsidiaries in Paris, Leipzig and Florence. For over half a century Goldscheider created masterpieces of historical revivalism, Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) and Art Deco. Famous artists such as Josef Lorenzl, Stefan Dakon, Ida Meisinger and the two perhaps best known Austrian ceramic artists Michael Powolny and Vally Wieselthier worked for Goldscheider. Several of the artists who worked for Goldscheider also worked for other Viennese studios, such as Augarten, Keramos or for the German brands Rosenthal and Meissen. The Goldscheider family emigrated in 1938 to United Kingdom and USA. Walter Goldscheider startet a new factory in Trenton, New Jersey and returned to Vienna in 1950. Marcel Goldscheider went to Stoke-on-Trent and produced figurative ceramics for Myott and opened his own studio in the 1950s in Hanley. Both brothers died in the early 1960s. More than 10,000 different models were created over a period of three generations. Since the very beginning many of these won first prizes and gold medals at innumerable world fairs, exhibitions and trade fairs. Goldscheider figures...

An Italian cherub, carved from linden wood wood. This graceful and exceptionally well-carved figure was likely part of an altar ensemble. The eyes and face are particularly well-form...

Oil on canvas of the classical figure Diana holding a bow in a landscape setting with a putti and dogs in vivid colors. French School 18th century  

18th century French pair of oils on gold leaf panels. One is depicting an angel playing the violin, and the other one is holding the music book.

Miniature portrait of a sleepy eyed man, circle Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich Germany 18th century, inscribed on back, refer to ph...

Very special Baroque box with carved decorations of mythical creatures and figurative scenes Carved monogrammed initials "HPP" + Family Crest, origin: Gudbrandsdal, Norway, circa 174...

18th century carved Venetian polychromed gondola figurerhead, realistically carved and painted, raised on a 6.5" diameter base.

Pair of Late 17th/Early 18th Century carved and polychrome Italian angel figures. Now mounted in modern stands. Wonderful baroque carving and retain original paint   

Danish 18th Century brass and wood nutcracker.

Very early 18th century Dutch woodblock engraving of the Northern Whale Fishery, circa 1720, a hand colored engraving illustrating the Dutch whaling flee...

Early 19th century brass bird cage, circa 1810-1830 The bird cage has two bird seed containers that attaches to the cage.   

Danish 18th century painted Baroque 3-drawer chest with later chinoiserie decorations, brass hardware and locks.

Pair of generous scale Spanish or Portuguese decorative polychrome garnitures also known as porta palmas in hand carved wood.

A pair of fine engravings of two Swedish monarchs by Samuel Blessendorf for Puffendorf’s History of Sweden, in antique birch frames, 1663 and 1696. Engravings of Swedish King Karl X Gustav (b. 1622 - d. 1660) dated 1663 and his successor, King Karl XI (b. 1655 - d. 1697) from 1696 by Samuel Blessendorf, a Prussian enamel painter and engraver, born in Berlin in 1670. He designed and engraved these portraits for Puffendorf’s History of Sweden by Freiherr Samuel von Pufendorf (1632-1694), Historiographer to King Karl X of Sweden. Freiherr Samuel von Pufendorf (b 1632 – d 1694) was a German jurist, political philosopher, economist and historian. He was born Samuel Pufendorf and ennobled in 1684 when he was made a baron by Charles XI of Sweden a few months before his death at age 62. Among his achievements are his commentaries and revisions of the natural law theories of Thomas Hobbes...

Rare 18th century Italian gaming board "Nobilissimo Giuoco Della Mea" Or "The Nobel Game of Chance" in original paint and decoupage, (lacca povera) depicting a game which appears to be a board version of "Put and Take" with different characters representing either plus or minus points. Four corners with scalloped carved coin wells, the centre slightly dished for either a top or ball to roll within. Characters include: Scimmia/Monkey - put 6, Re/King - take 1, Vople/Wolf take 3 , Pascia/Lord - take two and so on. Other characters include, Cinese/Chinese, Colombo/Pidgeon, Crepascolo/Twilight, Armigero/Knight?, Gezelia/Gazelle, Adone/Adonis, Gonhiere/Gondolier, Araba Fenice/Arab Phoenix?, Vecchio/Old Man, Leone/Lion. A very similar game board is in the collection of the Medici Villa...

A fine and important Norwegian tankard in birch burl wood with carved lion motif on top of lid, thumb piece and feet. Beautiful color, ceremonial mar...

18th century Spanish Conquistador carved wood figure. 18th century Carved and painted wood Spanish Conquistador figure or sculpture. This beautif...