Subject: Folk art

This is a colorful, hand-colored birth and baptismal certificate (Geburts- und Taufschein) for Bieber Georg Kohler, born December 19, 1863, in Maxatawny Township, Pennsylvania. The certificate states it was printed by Saeger and Leisenring in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in 1863, and it was completed and signed by the scrivener Martin Wetzler on December 29, 1864. The item features ornate illustrations typical of Pennsylvania German folk art, including two winged angels (one holding a horn and harp, the other a wreath and chalice), an eagle with a banner, and four birds perched on leafy branches at the bottom. The central text, written in German script and Fraktur, details the birth and baptism information, along with a poem. 3.

This business card for Solomon & Roth in Griffin, Georgia, is unusual in that it appears to be a hand-drawn calling card. The card features a pencil sketch of an American eagle, with 'Griffin, Ga.' inscribed inside a wreath above the eagle's head. The style is simple but evocative of folk art. The image is rendered on the glossy stock of a typical business card. The back of the card is blank.

Hand-embroidered tefillin bag featuring birds and flowers. Includes a line of Hebrew text and the date 1894. Discovered in New York City; origin possibly European or American. Measures approximately 10" x 8.5".

Plated brass plaque inscribed with the words "Good Luck." The date is estimated to be circa 1920 based on donor information.

A colored papercut artwork depicting lions, birds, and trees. The artwork is signed by Ludwig Goldstein and dated June 12, 1897. The inscription also includes the phrase "To Winne White for good teaching;...NY boy and girl." The art of papercutting is believed to be the quintessential expression of European Jewish folk art. Eastern European Jewish papercuts assumed many different forms and exhibited a wealth of themes and motifs, to fit a wide range of purposes. They were used as "Mizrah" and "Shiviti" plaques; "Yahrzeit" plaques; "Shir HaMa'alot" plaques, believed to give protection to childbearing mothers and newborns; "roizalakh" (rose-shaped ornaments) to decorate the household during the Shavuot holiday; "Ushpizin" plaques for the holiday of Sukkot; and other forms of items.

Watercolor Yahrzeit calendar commemorating Marcus Blatt, created by M.J. Gelb in St. Louis, Missouri on January 3, 1919. The 13.5" x 9.5" calendar lists the annual Yahrzeit (memorial) date for the next 53 years and features symbolic imagery including flowers, birds, the United States flag, a flag with a Star of David, the Eternal Light, and pillars representing the Temple.

A yellow-ware statue depicting a Hasid playing a fiddle. Approximately 8 inches in height. The statue dates from circa 1900 and has a small chip on the underside of the fiddle. The statue is of European origin.