The Ragman Antiques
PO Box 276
Portland, MI 48875
email: info@theragmanantiques.com
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"An Eye for the Obscure,
A Taste for the Bazaar"
SHOWCASE
ARCHIVES
Beautiful horn or tortoiseshell comb, ca. 1830; its shaped box (abt. 12" high) is covered in marbled paper and has a wonderful intact label identifying the Boston maker, Alfred Willard, who offered "shell and horn combs" and "hair work," among other things. The detail view shows the beautiful carving on the comb. Slight damage to box lid and minor hornworm damage to comb teeth. Another masterfully-crafted piece.
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Child's cowboy boots in tan and cream leather; spurs are aluminum or pot metal with tin conchos on their straps. Worn gently but (we're sure) proudly. End of spur strap (right boot) reinforced with leather patch on back. Mid-20th century.
"Lies are screamed Truth is whispered" is handwritten above twin antique photos at the center of this outsider art collage. Remnants of print (newsprint?) show below the photos, which are framed by a field of rusty bottle caps. The substrate is plywood faced with cardboard and painted white. One cross-arm is attached with found metal pieces. It is hard to date a piece assembled from found objects, but based on materials and condition we would guess mid-20th C.
Two half-scale Wolf model forms, sizes 12 and 14, shown with a turn-of-century wire counter-top display. The sz.12 (left) has an embroidered pink silk purse pinned at the waist; the sz. 14 (right) has a blue-and-white check apron, perfectly scaled from the width of the ruffles to the size of the checks; probably either design class projects or a teacher's demo pieces.
Journeyman's Sample: A perfectly-proportioned miniature beaver top hat, ca. 1845, with wallpaper-covered hat box. The box measures about 5" in diameter.
When craftsmen finished their apprenticeships and became "journeymen," they made such miniature items--hats, coats, shoes, etc.--as visual résumés. We have occasionally found them with the journeyman's papers. Though without papers, this is one of the most beautifully-crafted we've seen. $1500.00
Price includes shipping and insurance.