MAN • BEAST • SPIRIT • WOMAN

MAN
BEAST
S P I R I T
W O M A N
ANTIQUES IN MANCHESTER 2016

S T E V E N S . P O W E R S
MAN
BEAST
S P I R I T
W O M A N
Exceptional Folk Art & Americana assembled for exhibition and sale at
Antiques In Manchester: The Collector's Fair. Featuring works from The
Marvill Collection and Americana from an important Midwestern Collection.
August 10-11, 2016.
Sullivan Arena • St. Anselm College • Manchester, NH
100 St. Anselm Dr, Manchester, NH 03102
additional show information: antiquesinmanchester.com
W O R K S O F
A R T
& a m e r i c a n a
360 Court Street #28, Brooklyn, NY 11231 | 718.625.1715 or 917.518.0809 | stevenspowers.com | member: ADA

(previous and right) Men of the Pale Forest
Brownstone
Likely OH or PA origin
Circa: 1890-1910
Size: 8 1/2" (l) x 5" (w) x 6 1/2" (h)
Provenance: Marvill Collection
Though presented in the form of a utilitarian match strike, this object is a sophisticated
sculpture that asks more questions than it answers. While the narrative of these forest dwelling
men is unknown, it appears that some kinky psycho-sexual dream is playing out. A male figure
sits on a stump, tongue panting and mouth agape, while another male nude stands astride a
phallic tree root and peers around the tree holding a cat o' nine tails whip.
Though authorship of this carving is undetermined, it has stylistic and thematic similarities to a
small group of wood carvings that are also quite dark and sexualized. While, I am not making an
attribution, it is worth exploring as a hypothesis.
The artist of these aforementioned wood and polychrome carvings is also unknown, but it is
believed that one artist created the group. The most well known of this group is entitled, “The
Exorcism” (American Vernacular, page 178). The other known carvings are, “Prostitutes and
Their Tricks,” and “It’s A Shame To Take The Money” (Sotheby’s, American Beauty: The
American Folk Art Collection of Stephen and Petra Levin, Part I, lots 1407, 1409). If taken as a
group (including the sculpture herein), the underlying theme revolves around sin and/or
sexuality—on a progress bar they go from parlor humor to dark fetish.
Aside from the overlapping themes, a number of stylistic similarities between the wood carvings
and the stone carving can be noted. The first is body type—each figure is somewhat stocky, yet
pillowy—with soft edges, not angular features. Their hands, eyes and hair are rendered alike
(given the incidental variances that would occur between carving in stone and wood). Another is
the way the artist executed the junction between the mouth and tree of the standing figure of the
stone sculpture and the mouths between the kisses on the “Prostitutes” figures. The bases of
each carving follows an irregular contour and not a proper rectangle, which is unusual and maybe
telling of a relationship between the wood carvings and this most compelling stone sculpture.
While this brownstone sculpture was conceived as a utilitarian object, a match strike, and the
wood carvings are non-utilitarian art pieces, it reads just as much as a stand alone sculpture as
the others.
Additional research, insight and discussion is needed. In the meantime it stands strong and
enigmatic on its own.

African-American Limberjack
Carved wood, polychrome, mother-of-pearl, animal hair, iron, springs, linen
Buffalo, NY
Circa: 1860
Size: 16" (l) x 17 1/2" (h)
Provenance: Marvill Collection
Illustrated and discussed in American Primitive, chapter plate for “Articulated
Figures,” page 132, fig. 180.
This large scale limberjack escapes the form and is powerfully rendered more as
a fetish figure than an object of entertainment. It was likely created by an
African-American street musician made for personal performance, not novelty. Its
potent visage and presence can be compared to African nkisi or spirit figures
with the arrangement of re-purposed and disparate materials from the applied
animal hair, macramé, iron springs, mother-of-pearl eyes and the “offering up”
posture.
Its spring arms and jangly legs are animated by stepping up and down on the
re-purposed iron band—as one would use a kick drum to keep time and rhythm.
Dancing dolls or jig dolls have been used by street musicians and entertainers
since at least the 16th century. During the 19th century, in America, the figures
became a cottage craft and often depicted African-Americans as minstrel figures
(in the exploitive genre). This figure escapes that ugly prejudice and presents a
deeply personal and cultural work of art.
The figure originated from, or around, Buffalo, NY. Buffalo is part of the Niagara
Frontier and had long been a destination of free blacks. The first African-American
settler arrived in 1792. By the mid 1800’s it had the 10th largest population
of African-Americans and later became a stop along the Underground Railroad.

The Laundress
Carved wood, polychrome, aluminum foil
Circa: 1920
Size: 14" (l) x 8 5/8" (h)
Provenance: Hammer & Hammer; Marna
Anderson; Marvill Collection
Illustrated and discussed in American Primitive,
page 67, fig. 85.
Carved from hardwood, she stands well poised and
neatly dressed with a robin’s egg blue dress, foil
wrapped buttons and buckle, and smartly weaved
bobbed hair.
“The Laundress” is a unique expression of
American folk art. She is indelible. When asked,
“what objects do you most remember from the
groundbreaking publication, American Primitive,”
collectors often remark, “that towel woman!”

The Chambermaid
Carved wood, polychrome
Circa: 1920
Size: 23" (h)
Provenance: Marvill Collection
This figure, as with the previous, represents an
aspect of folk art we seldom see, women in the
home or at work (in the home). Typically men
carved women as muses, nudes, and objects of
their affection. These women are shown in a
straightforward, not overly sexualized manner.
They are portraits of contemporary, employed
women of the day.

Grizzly Bear
Carved wood
Iowa
Circa: 1875
Size: 10 7/8” (l) x 6 5/8” (w) x 6” (h)
Large one piece carving of remarkable
character and surface. The hefty bear is
down on all fours with one hind leg
coming through to the front.
Surface is untouched, oxidized and
maintains a “benchmark” dark, sensual
patina.

(below) Dr. Gall Phrenology Burl Snuff Box
Amboyna burl
Circa: 1820
Size: 3 1/4" (d) x 3/4" (h)
A desirable, well defined Dr. Gall
phrenology French pressed burl snuff box.
Three skulls are depicted which are divided
into twenty-seven numbered sections. The
backside acts as a key and lists the
corresponding twenty-seven emotions.
Phrenology is a branch of pseudoscience in
which the morphology of the skull is
studied. Phrenologists believed the size and
shape of the skull to be indicative of various
emotional and character traits and of
mental abilities. Dr. Franz Joseph Gall
(1758-1828) is considered to be the founder
of phrenology.
(right) George Washington Phrenology Bust Inkwell
Glass, iron
Circa: 1860
Size: 7" (l) x 7" (d) x 7" (h)
A large, RARE Inkwell in the form of George
Washington's head, which is idealized and is divided
with phrenological numbered sections. The blackened
cast iron base is sculpted with oak and laurel leaves and
ivy—the leaves on the sides act as pen rests. The lid of
the pen cup lid has an American eagle within a Federal
shield—the underside reads: SEE WASHINGTON
MANUAL BY / JOHN HECKER, / N.Y. The front of the
glass cup is lettered: WASHINGTON MANUAL. The
1866 manual was a guide to understanding the
Washington phrenology bust. The sections that hold the
pen cup is marked: PATENTED DEC 11, 1855.
I have seen two others of this Washington inkwell in
milk glass, but none in clear.

Emily Hanson (1840-1898)
Spirit Drawing
graphite on paperboard
Circa: 1870
Size: 28" (l) x 22" (h)
A large-scale obsessive graphite drawing “Executed through spirit power, Miss Emily Hanson, instrument.
Cumberland Mills, Maine.” Though (manipulated) spirit photographs are known, very few “spirit drawings”
exist. Many of the tightly rendered florals have random faces hidden within. Also in the right center bottom, a
village with houses and a park is illustrated. In addition to the drawing by Hanson, the whole surface is
stippled on top of the drawing. The choice of flowers likely held meaning to Hanson, as there were books at
the time that discussed the “language of flowers.”
Spiritualism is a belief that spirits of the dead have both the ability and the interest to communicate with the
living. Spiritualism developed and reached its peak in the mid-late 19th century.

The Marshalltown Menagerie (ninety-plus carvings)
Marshalltown, Iowa
Carved wood, polychrome, thorns, leaves.
Circa: 1930
Average size of animal: +/- 4" (l) x +/- 2 1/2" (h)
The Marshalltown Menagerie is a group of ninety-plus extraordinary carvings
created by an individual, unknown carver from Marshalltown, Iowa.
Each animal is thoughtfully executed—with no repeats. Some have numerical
tags, which likely, at some time, identified them as part of a key for display.
According to family history, they were acquired directly from the artist by a Mr.
Calvin White in lieu of payment. They remained within the White family for at
least eighty years and are now just receiving their well deserved exposure.
While most are carved from a single block of wood and then painted, some are
finished with rose thorns, cactus thorns, sawdust, and vegetable fibers to add
Spotted Hyena
Marshalltown, Iowa
Carved wood, polychrome
Circa: 1930
Size: 5 1/8" (l) x 2 1/2" (h)

additional detail. With
the scale and number
of carvings, one may
think of the Noah’s
Ark carvings from the
late 19th and early
20th centuries that
were mass
produced through a
cottage industry—
these are not those—
each animal has a
personality.
Polar Bear
Marshalltown, Iowa
Carved wood, polychrome
Circa: 1930
Size: 5 1/8" (l) x 3" (h)
From the polar bear
with its lifted leg and
“Pete the Pup” like
black circled eyes; the
beautifully posed and
mottled spotted hyena; a Mongolian sheep with brown
painted “wool,” achieved with applied sawdust and glue; to
the dynamic
seahorse with an elegant coiled tail, big doughy eyes and tens
of applied spiky cactus thorns. There are groups of animals
with horns and tusks, a group of dinosaurs, fish, and birds—
all unique creations.
One of the wildest carvings is a large sea creature (possibly
the Loch Ness Monster given the circa 1930’s creation of these
carvings). It has large orange fins and scalloped fins along its
lanky back, and holds a smaller animal in its toothy jaws.
The most complex of the carvings is a circus cart, which is
composed of many elements. The fancifully painted cage on

the back of the cart
contains a wild, spotted
beast. Atop the
cart sits a hurdygurdy
monkey and a
colorful slithering
snake. A man sits at
the reigns and ushers
two giraffes who pull
the wagon.
The collection is
offered as a group
and will be displayed
as such on a wall
mounted zig-zagged
ramp with all of the
animals marching up
to the circus cart.
Mongolian Sheep(?)
Marshalltown, Iowa
Carved wood, polychrome,
sawdust. glue
Circa: 1930
Size: 3 7/8" (l) x 3" (w)
Seahorse
Marshalltown, Iowa
Carved wood, polychrome, cactus thorns
Circa: 1930
Size: 2 3/4" (l) x 6" (h)

Pulp Fiction: A Little Diddy About “Boots” and Evelyn
Carved wood, polychrome, paper, ink, photograph
York, PA
Circa: 1925-1932
Size: 16" (oah)
A vignette comprised of two wood carvings, tattoo flash
and a photograph of Charles William “Boots” Eyler
(1908-1983) and Evelyn Marstellar (1912-2001) of
York, Pennsylvania.
The gun, realistically carved by Eyler is a Colt 45,
model 1911 and is signed and dated, 1925, under the
grips. The figure, also carved by Eyler, is a portrait of a
twenty year old Evelyn dated 1932. She stands
classically posed and confident while “Boots” carves
her in all her glory.
The photograph dated to the same year of the carving
shows the young lovers laying on a flat rock—they were
married the next year.

Ojibwa Mide'wiwin Figures
Cottonwood, pigment
Circa: 1840
Size: 6" (oah)
Provenance: W. E. Channing; Marvill Collection
Related examples: Logan Museum of Anthropology, Albert Green
Heath Collection, Beloit, WI, pair of like figures; The American
Museum of Natural History, 50 / 5695 N, small female form medicine
figure.
These rare Woodlands figures were used by the Mide'wiwin or
"Grand Medicine Society" of the Ojibwa Indians. As part of a
ceremony for attracting a marriage partner, the figures would be tied
face to face and mixed with “love powder” in a bag.
Excerpted from: THE MIDĒ´WIWIN OR “GRAND MEDICINE
SOCIETY” OF THE OJIBWA. By W. J. Hoffman.
“This love powder is held in high esteem, and its composition is held
a profound secret, to be transmitted only when a great fee is paid. It
consists of the following ingredients: Vermilion; powdered snakeroot
and a piece of ginseng cut from the bifurcation of the root, and
powdered.”
Eve
Walter Tinna (Oswego, NY)
Carved wood and polychrome
Circa: 1940-50
Size: 21 1/2" (h)

Eastern Great Lakes Woodlands (Iroquois) Ash Burl Bowl
Ash burl
Circa: 1800
Size: 13 1/2" (l) x 12 1/8" (w) x 6 1/4" (h)
Provenance: Private Midwestern Collection
An exceptional example of a compact, well proportioned
double handled Woodlands bowl.
The bowl maintains a beautiful, nutty brown, surface and
patina—burnished on the high-points and handles. The
handles are masterfully resolved with smooth chamfered
edges.
Choice!

Klimt’s Kan Kollage
Tin can lids, nails, brass tacks, wood tabletop
Circa: 1930
Size: 23" (l) x 31" (h)
An assemblage of various tin can lids composed in
an overlapping pattern, each meticulously nailed
around the perimeter—like numbers on a clock
face.
The whole is reminiscent of Klimt’s work with
silver and gold foils and reads as a macro-detail of
some of his paintings.
Framed and displayed as a painting.
detail of Gustav Klimt’s
Portrait Of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, 1907

(left) Deep Dentil Molded
Cupboard
New England
Pine, butternut(?), red paint
Circa: 1780
Size: 24 5/8" (l) x 14 3/4" (w) x
26 3/8" (h)
Provenance: Private Midwestern
Collection
A bold and superb 18th century
open display cupboard. First rate
surface and condition.
Rare New England Platform Lantern
Pine, tin, glass, hinges
Circa: 1780
Size: 7 1/2" (l) x 8 1/4" (w) x 20" (h)
Provenance: Private Midwestern Collection
A remarkable, early American lighting device with a large
conical, pierced tin chimney. The rabbet joined glazed box sits
on extended legs which gives the whole a dramatic lift.

Unique Large Tiger Maple Charger / Circa: 1740 / Size: 14 1/4" (l) x 13 3/4" (w) x 2" (h) / Private Midwestern Collection

Exceptional Large Chestnut Charger / Circa: 1740 / Size: 14 3/4" (l) x 14 1/8" (w) x 2 1/4" (h) / Private Midwestern Collection

Folk Art Wantage Rod - Ezekiel Maxson (1789-1870)
Hopkinton, RI
Carved hickory
Circa: 1823
Size: 43 3/4" (oal)
This is a neat piece! For the lover of instruments,
brewery or vintner antiques...a wantage rod (gauge to
determine volume within a cask or barrel). The
hickory rod is inscribed with marks for BEER and
WINE and with an elaborate conversion chart. The
owner's name EZEKIAL MAXSON and DATE: 1823
are also deeply inscribed.
Maxson (1789-1870) turns up in census records for
Hopkinton, RI and also served in the War of 1812.
Dated 1769 Miniature Bootjack Chest with
Reeded Edge
Pine, paint, metal
Circa: 1769
Size: 14 1/8" (l) x 5 7/8" (w) x 7 3/4" (h)
Provenance: Private Midwestern Collection
A very fine miniature six board chest
with an applied reeded molding and
nicely formed bootjack ends. The two
interior till covers date the piece in large
separate numerals “6” “9.”
Maintains original paint and surface.
Original brass tip, pinned in place.

Knockers
Brass
Circa: 1900
Size: 6" (d) x 4" (h)
Large Coco de Mer
Circa: late 19thC
Size: 10" x 13"
First rate example with a
nice "thigh gap."

The Virgin of Sorrows
Carved mahogany
Circa: 16th-17thC
Size: 13 3/4" (h) x 12 1/8" (w)
An early Mexican panel carved in the
transitional Indian-Christian (Aztec) or
Tequitqui to Spanish Colonial period.

Eastern Great Lakes Woodlands (Iroquois) Ash Burl
Bowl
Ash burl
Circa: 1700 (or earlier)
Size: 13 1/2" (l) x 12 1/8" (w) x 6 1/4" (h)
Provenance: Trotta-Bono, Peter Brams
This Woodlands bowl has had its’ battle with the
elements over time—however, it remains an
evocative object.
The large, sweeping, demilune cutout handle is
diagnostic of early bowls and represents an eye of a
manitou.
The aged surface maintains a dry, complex patina.

A double sided Ray Johnson over a
Xerox of an announcement of the
“RAY JOHNSON
CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL
MEETING SACRAMENTO STATE
ART GALLERY 8:30 PM MARCH
26-.” Dated 8.28.93. With “PLEASE
SEND TO LEON TROTSY.”
The other side with a screened
image of bunny ears over a
sideways illustrated bunny head,
with the text “EAR DIARY, BY
MONTE ZUMA.”
The Soviet Marxist Trotsky was
exiled to Mexico and was
assassinated there—ergo Monte
Zuma...Montezuma’s Revenge. And
Trotsky kept a diary, and diary
sounds like diarrhea... back to
Montezuma’s Revenge.
Archivally framed to be hung with
either side displayed.
Ray Johnson (1927-1995)
Ear Diary, By Monte Zuma
Silkscreen on paper, marker
1993
Size: 8 1/2" (w) x 11" (h)
Provenance: Steven Wolf Fine Art, San Francisco,

CA.
Side 2

Steven Powers (1968 -)
Woodlands (Looking Into The Middle Distance)
Oil on panel
2016
Size: 9" (h) x 12" (w)

Steven Powers (1968 -)
Woodlands II (Looking Into The Middle Distance)
Oil on panel
2016
Size: 11" (h) x 14" (w)

Bull Durham
Cooperstown, NY
Carved wood, polychrome
Circa: 1920
Size: 17" (l) x 12" (h)
Large scale folk art carving with an extraordinary
paint surface. Created by a shell-shocked WWI
veteran, who found therapy in carving.

S T E V E N S . P O W E R S
ANTIQUES IN MANCHESTER 2016
W O R K S O F
A R T
& a m e r i c a n a
360 Court Street #28, Brooklyn, NY 11231 | 718.625.1715 or 917.518.0809 | stevenspowers.com | member: ADA