Recalling Rural Life in This Americana Sale

Handcrafted tramp art boxes, figural weather vanes, and colorful game boards are just a few of the historical treasures offered in this week’s Jasper52 Americana sale. These artisan objects vary in function from decorative, utilitarian and even entertainment, though all are threads of 19th-20th century rural life that will create a unique sense of welcome in any home.

This winning polychrome game board dates to the 1880s and features superbly detailed gilded birds and leaves in an Eastlake design motif. It bears a double set of elaborately flourished initials, one set surrounded a lady’s boot cornucopia of blooms, suggesting that one of the game participants was a woman.

 

The 120-lot auction features no less than seven weather vanes, including this late 19th-century handmade weather vane of sheet iron depicts Halley’s Comet.

 

Animals were favorite subjects of factory-made weather vanes. A copper horse vane by W.A. Snow Iron Works in Boston has zinc ears for ballast and bears a desirable natural verdigris. This relic from the turn of the 20th century is equipped with a museum mount.

 

From a New England collection comes a diminutive late 19th century eagle full-body weather vane on a custom-made iron stand.

 

Also in cast iron is a doorstop in the form of a swan. This double-sided example is featured in the The Doorstop Book by John and Nancy Smith, page 91.

 

All of these spectacular items and more are featured in this week’s Americana and Tramp Art auction. Click here to view the full catalog.