Folk Art Portrait Carving Of a Man with a Moustache
♥ SOLD
Probably a Barber Shop Trade Sign or Display Figure
Carved and Painted Pine with Original Decoration
Northern European c. 1870
13” high x 7.5” wide x 8” deep
Ref: 43777
Hand carved from a single solid block of timber and with finely detailed carved and painted features, this rare folk art sculpture probably originally stood in a Barber shop window to advertise his business. Later examples, generally made from plaster or papier mache are more frequently found, but this rare example has a particularly individual character and style. As with many pieces of folk sculpture, it was probably created by a ship’s figurehead or fairground carver, hence the fluency and skill evident in the execution. However the observed details are charmingly quirky, with the ears being ridiculously low on the head for example,(probably so the hair details could be concentrated upon and not interfered with!), but such is the magic and charm of honest vernacular carvings. Wonderfully eccentric.
