Lot 208A
United States, New Mexico, n.d. An adorable wood carving of a burro - skillfully hand-carved and hand-painted in shades of grey with strokes of black, white, and pink highlighting the visage and body while his tail and mane are comprised of natural fibers. This charming donkey stands on all fours and dutifully carries firewood on its back. In the Southwest, wild burros are descendants of the Spanish donkeys used to carry supplies in the late 19th century. When the miners no longer needed their help, they were set free. Size: 27.5" L x 11.25" W x 24.5" H (69.8 cm x 28.6 cm x 62.2 cm)
Just a few years ago, the Museum of International Folk Art presented an exhibition of New Mexican animal wood carvings titled, "Wooden Menagerie: Made in New Mexico" (April 6, 2014 - February 15, 2015). Their announcement provided the following history of the artform, "During the Work Progress Administration (WPA) period of the 1930s, the traditional arts of the region gained resurgence through federal programmed that trained and employed New Mexican folk artists, In 1936, Patrocino Barelas expressionistic woodcarvings created under the auspices of the Federal Arts Project were a part of New Horizons in American Art at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The wood carving tradition continued into the 1960s primarily for the tourist trade with classic carvings of burros and oxen drawn carts. During this time artists started experimenting with recycled materials and common household paint. The decade of the 1970s was a dramatic period that fostered the powerful animistic forms of Felipe Archuleta and his workshop of carvers. By the 1980s Archuletas animal sculptures were highly sought after by collectors and curators. His menagerie of domestic and exotic animals made their way to museum exhibits in New York, Paris and Tokyo. This exhibition celebrated the rich Hispano folk tradition of animal wood carving in New Mexico and the continued influence on the national and international scene. The exhibition highlighted the historic roots of New Mexican woodcarvers, offering early twentieth century examples of whimsical animals including works by Jose Dolores Lopez and Celso Gallegos. The excitement around the workshops of the New Mexican animal carvers created an insatiable market that spurred on innovations by Alonso Jimenez, Jim Davila, David Alvarez and Leroy Ortega. This generation of carvers fostered the iconic images of friendly burros, howling coyotes, and Technicolor rattlesnakes, reaching deep into the popular culture of the Southwestern United States. These animal sculptures have become emblematic of Santa Fes cultural character."
Provenance: ex-private Boulder, Colorado, USA collection, acquired in the min-20th century
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#176781
- Condition: Some age cracks and surface wear as shown. Fissures at base of ears and upper ends of legs suggest these were carved separately and attached. We do not see a signature on this piece.
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