Chalkware cat

1850-1890

Place madeUnited States, North America

PossiblyPennsylvania

Plaster of Paris, paint

Overall: 5 3/8 × 3 1/4 × 2 3/8 in. (13.7 × 8.3 × 6 cm)

Purchased from Elie Nadelman

1937.1146

This object was once part of the folk art collection of Elie Nadelman (1882-1946), the avant-garde sculptor. From 1924 to 1934, Nadelman's collection was displayed in his Museum of Folk Arts, located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. The Historical Society purchased Nadelman's entire collection in 1937. Brightly painted decorative ornaments known as chalkware were an affordable alternative to figurines made in pottery and porcelain. The hollow figures were made of plaster of Paris: calcined gypsum ground into a powder and mixed with water. Cast in molds, they were individually hand-colored in watercolor, tempera, or oil paint to compensate for a lack of detailed modeling. Frequently made by Italian immigrants, chalkware was sold on the streets by itinerant vendors known as “image peddlers.” They were widely collected in the 1920s under the misconception that they were made by Pennsylvania Germans.

DescriptionChalkware cat painted yellow with black spots; red ears and mouth; seated on low rectangular base.

InscribedHandwritten in pencil on inner wall of base: "$1.50"

ProvenanceThe Folk Art Collection of Elie and Viola Nadelman, Riverdale, NY

ClassificationsDECORATIVE SCULPTURE

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