Spring 2011 - Item detail

Baseball Folk Art Collection (3)

Sold For:
$1,410
Year:
1930
Auction:
2011 Spring
Lot #:
1273
Category:
Post-1900 Baseball Memorabilia
Unique collection of three early American folk art examples, each celebrating our national pastime. 1) Circa 1890 Children's Sled. The wooden sled, with metal runners, features an attractive hand-painted image of a period ballplayer on the front. Additional painted accents decorate the front and each side. The sled displays heavy wear, commensurate with its age and former use, but the central image of the ballplayer remains virtually intact and is free of any significant defects. This is an extremely rare and attractive baseball folk art piece. The only other example of a nineteenth-century hand-painted "baseball" sled we have ever seen resided in the legendary Barry Halper Collection. The sled measures 11.5 x 46 x 4.4 inches. Very Good condition overall. 2) Circa 1920s Connie Mack Wooden Wall Sculpture. This exquisitely crafted artwork, rendered in wood, features a bust-length image of Connie Mack. Mack's image, fashioned in relief, occupies the center of the display. The bottom panel features a baseball motif of crossed bats, catcher's mask, and glove, while the top panel displays a floral pattern. The artist's initials "RM" are engraved along the bottom front border. The piece (5 x 16.5 x 1 inches) displays a few minor stress fissures, one of which runs vertically through Mack's image, and is in Very Good to Excellent condition overall. 3) Circa 1900 Homemade Chalkboard. This portable, fold-over chalkboard, consisting of two separate slates, features a crude, hand-painted image of a ballplayer on one side. Hand painted (non baseball) images adorn each of the other three sides as well. The slates are framed in wood and held together by applied cloth straps. 13 x 9 inches. In Very Good condition. Each of these items is very unusual and fascinating, and no doubt has a story that has been lost to time. All were once part of the collection of a great and very sophisticated pioneer collector who had an appreciation of both folk art and baseball. Total: 3 items (sled, sculpture, and chalkboard). Reserve $200. Estimate (Open). SOLD FOR $1,410