Chalkware mantel ornament

1850-1890

Place madeUnited States, North America

PossiblyPennsylvania

Plaster of Paris, paint

Overall: 9 1/4 x 4 3/8 in. ( 23.5 x 11.1 cm )

Purchased from Elie Nadelman

1937.1137

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.

InscribedWritten in graphite on inside of base: "d99"

ProvenanceMable I. Renner, York, PA, 1927; The Folk Art Collection of Elie and Viola Nadelman, Riverdale, NY

ClassificationsDECORATIVE SCULPTURE

DescriptionChalkware mantel ornament in the form of a pinecone mounted on a circular pedestal with square base; painted blue with red spot on top, with upper part of pedestal painted red and yellow.Published ReferencesMargaret K. Hofer and Roberta J.M. Olson, Making It Modern: The Folk Art Collection of Elie and Viola Nadelman (New York: New-York Historical Society in association with D Giles Limited, 2015), cat. no. 10, 144-147.

N-YHS RR Negative Number 29096

Object NameChalkware mantel ornament