Kovels Antiques & Collecting: American Folk Art
By Terry and Kim Kovel
American Folk Art
Sometimes, all we know about an artist from the past comes from their artwork. This is especially true of folk and outsider artists; collectors are often lucky to know their names. Fortunately, artist Louis E. Thompson signed and dated his works, like the mixed media wall sculpture shown here, made in 1932, that sold for $343 at Alex Cooper Auctioneers.
Louis Thompson made mixed media pieces that often reference American history, like this wall sculpture that incorporates china from Mount Vernon. PHOTO CREDIT: Alex Cooper Auctioneers
Thompson lived from 1894 to 1963, spent his life in Maryland, and worked as a teacher. Other than that, his life is largely a mystery. His art fits into folk art traditions; for example, it is typically mixed media, indicating that he used whatever materials were available. Painted pieces usually have flat areas of color without shading. Some of his works have Christian imagery, like figures of saints or pictures of churches. References to American history are another frequent subject. Thompson depicted scenes of historical sites or events and created images based on Native American art.
Gold-painted eagles, like the carved and gilded finials seen on fine Federal furniture, appear on frames and wall sculptures. According to a note on the back of this wall sculpture, the china fragments incorporated into it are from Mount Vernon, George Washington's plantation. Archaeological excavations there began in the 1930s, about the time Thompson made the sculpture.
Q: I have a carnival glass berry service with a large bowl and six serving cups. The set is amber, and the large bowl has berries around the top and a tiger in the center bottom. The serving cups have berries and no tiger. They have no imperfections. The set was my great-grandmother's, which would make it approximately 100 years old or more. Could you give me any information and approximate value?
A: Your berry set is in the Panther pattern by Fenton, although most collectors agree that the animal looks more like a tiger. The amber color, often called marigold, is a common color for this pattern.
Berry services in this color and pattern generally sell for about $75. To get the most attention, and the best price, you may want to contact an auction house that specializes in carnival glass. There are also collectors' clubs for carnival glass, like the American Carnival Glass Association, Inc. (myacga.com) or the International Carnival Glass Association (internationalcarnivalglass.com) and Fenton glass, like the National Fenton Glass Society Inc. (nfgs.org) that may have more information or help connect you with prospective buyers. Another option is to sell your set to a pattern-matching service, which may get you a better price than an auction.
TIP: Don't display colorful items in direct sunlight, especially paintings and prints. Sunlight dries out wood and other materials and emits ultraviolet rays that discolor them.
CURRENT PRICES
Lamp base, oil, figural, owl, yellow eyes, textured feathers, rocky base, porcelain, Victorian, 6 1/2 inches, $50.
Toothpick holder, figural, putto, standing, on turtle's back, holding umbrella, open, pierced, silver plate, Pairpoint, 4 1/2 inches, $190.
Toy, merry-go-round, blue canopy, American flags on finial, six swing seats, bisque dolls, wigs, fabric clothes, tin plate, Germany, 20 inches, $470.
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