Folk Art Advertisement, ca. 1900
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GUEST:
I received it from my mother, who is 93. And she remembers it as being in the home of her uncle.
APPRAISER:
And when you were a child, did you play with this?
GUEST:
I certainly did. I used to ride it, pretend that it was a pony, and sit on the back of it and just ride around. And my mother came down with me today. She says that she and her sister were not allowed to play with this, so they would just run past the house and poke it and run away. So times really became more relaxed. However, my children are not allowed to touch it in any way.
APPRAISER:
Oh, so the tables have sort of turned now again.
GUEST:
Yes, they have turned.
APPRAISER:
So it was your mother's uncle who originally had it. Do you have any idea where he got it?
GUEST:
We didn't at first, but now we seem to think that it may have been connected with a business that he had in which he sold dairy products, poultry products and delicatessen items. And I just found that information out since we've been here today.
APPRAISER:
Talking to your mother while you were here at the ROADSHOW.
GUEST:
Right, right.
APPRAISER:
Well, it's so exciting. When I first saw it, all I could think of were the butter and egg stores that were around New England when I was a child. And this must have been in the window of his store. I call it folk art, although it was probably carved by a master carver that carved figures for carousels. And it was definitely carved as a store figure to go in the front window to let everybody know what your great-uncle sold. It's really wonderful. It's in original condition. It has its original painted surface. There's a little bit of damage to this foot, but I would be very careful not to have it restored by somebody who doesn't know what they're doing, because it's quite a valuable piece, and I feel it's worth between $5,000 and $8,000.
GUEST:
Well, thank you very much.
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