A Taste of Home, Regional Collecting

Taste of Home

If the taste of mint brings back memories of days at the Derby, you have probably spent some time in Louisville.  From Cincinnati? The thought of a “Four Way” chili may fill you with the warmth and sweetness of a Saturday night family dinner at Skyline.  Is your idea of barbeque a thick sweet sauce poured over spare ribs?  Yep, you must be a St. Louisan.  And, who doesn’t associate the wonderful flavor of jambalaya with New Orleans?

Drive down the main street of any city or town, and you can usually identify a local cuisine or culinary favorite - simply by looking for the local eatery with the most cars in the lot.  Tune in a bit more to your surroundings, and you should notice architectural distinctions that speak to the early history of the area.  If you are lucky (and, it’s a Saturday night), you can pop into a bar and catch the latest tunes from a hometown music sensation.  It is the cumulative effect of these tastes, sights and sounds that contribute to the identifiable culture of a region.  In the world of art and antiques, these characteristics manifested in construction and design elements that developed shortly after settlers in a region overcame basic survival concerns.  Some collectors are willing to pay top dollar when they find a work that exemplifies a region to which they identify.

Often, as appraisers, we are asked:  how do you know where it was made?  Determining the origin of a piece of furniture, pottery or painting is not so different from associating a flavor with a region.  Like food, architecture and music, the material culture (all the “stuff” people use in their daily lives) is often influenced by the geographic character of the area, ethnic and religious makeup of the population, indigenous materials and accessibility of major centers of commerce.  Regional design was heavily influenced by style makers in major cities, with craftsmen in smaller towns developing their own version.  Some elements were lost, some gained - with the loose interpretation known as a “vernacular” or “colloquial” style.  When a style can be readily identified by comparing an unknown example to documented pieces, we can begin to understand the material culture of an area.

Attribution does not have to be so technical, however.  Tiger maple chest?  Most certainly made in New England, Pennsylvania or Ohio - why?  That’s where the wood was found.  Kasten (or, schrank, depending upon your preference):  9 times out of 10 it was made in Pennsylvania, New York or New Jersey as both words translate from Dutch (and German) to “cupboard,” and those areas had large numbers of immigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries.

If you are looking for a way to refine your collecting taste, consider a regional focus.  Serving your favorite bread pudding from a new (old) southern sideboard will add an element of sophisticated authenticity, that will serve up a healthy helping of nostalgia for any guest.

Sidebar:

The Ohio River has had a direct impact on the cultural evolution of North America for centuries - arguably influencing the westward expansion of the 19th Century more than any other factor.  At one point wider than the Mississippi, the Ohio provided an efficient route from Canada and New York, through the locks of Louisville, and up the Mississippi to St. Louis, or down to Louisiana.  The river towns that emerged along it’s banks developed into thriving economies as traffic from major centers of commerce in the East created opportunity for consistent trade.  Responding to the demand created by a rapidly developing population of settlers, furniture makers, potters and metalsmiths churned out a steady stream of wares that incorporated a distinctively vernacular interpretation of popular styles of the era.  Every May, Garth’s hosts an auction dedicated to the material culture of this influential region.  For more information about The Ohio Valley Auction, visit www.garths.com.

An inlaid cherry Kentucky sugar chest, circa 1820 with star and string decoration.  In the 18th and 19th Centuries, sugar was an expensive luxury - worthy of locking in beautiful chests.  This example sold at Garth’s for $7,520.

Regional collectors love items of historic, local interest.  This horn cup was presented to Kentucky militia General Green Clay after he successfully defended Fort Meigs (Ohio) during a critical battle of the War of 1812.  This truly significant piece of Ohio Valley history came to Garth’s from a collection in St. Louis, where it had traveled from the Clay Plantation in Kentucky.  It sold for $38,775.

This fine miniature blanket chest earned a western Virginia attribution due to the distinctive stylized flower motif found on other inscribed pieces from the region.  The exuberant decoration and fine, untouched surface make this example a stand out.  It sold at Garth’s for $41,125.

An eponymous example of regional significance on material culture, the furniture from Soap Hollow, Pennsylvania is distinctively decorated and wildly collectible.  With three top drawers, bold decoration and a strong signature, this “Cadillac” example brought $132,250 at Garth’s, setting a record price for the category.

At one point incorrectly attributed to Centre County, Pennsylvania, this decorated blanket chest (dated 1835) shares design similarities to early watercolors from Ohio.  Further inspection revealed construction techniques specific to Ohio that secured the corrected attribution.  Undoubtedly, the Ohio link influenced the price when it sold at Garth’s for $50,525.