Articulated Folk Art Bald Man with Glasses Carving

Circa 1930s: Standing 9.75" tall, this articulated sculpture of a bald man in wire-rimmed spectacles features original six-color finely crazed polychromatic paint decoration and is signed WC on the back of its yellow shirt. This figure is a skillfully carved, sensitively rendered, and carefully painted example of an African American working class gentleman in a short sleeved yellow shirt, green trousers, and brown shoes. The carver also has painted a black belt complete with white buckle and even belt loops. Facial features are highly detailed (fully carved ears, large nose, high cheekbones, thin lips, and protruding chin), and the artist used a tiny drill bit in order to make a hole through which he could run the figure's wire-rimmed glasses. The wooden man's articulated limbs are attached with early 20th century flathead screws, and its shoes are securely doweled into the legs. Everything about this piece of antique American folk art kinetic sculpture exudes quality: the complex paint scheme, the skillful carving, and the expert construction. Clearly, WC was an accomplished carver who took great pride in his work, and it shows.