Cabinet of Curiosities

(Above) MOLECULAR MODEL
Teaching aid constructed of painted wood balls linked by rods and springs.
Mid-20th c.
15 x 17 x 9 inches

(Above) STAMPS CALCULATOR
Someone by the name of Carl Nash covered an old calculator with duck postage stamps and signed it.
7.5 x 14 x 8 inches

(Above) GLASS CANDY CONTAINER
What a strange packaging concept to put candy inside a gun container. What where they thinking? Mercury glass, mounted on base.
8 x 4.5 x 1.5 inches

(Above) STONE OWL
Mysterious owl formed by nature. Mounted on metal base.
12 x 6 x 2 inches

(Above) DRIVE IN HEAD
The head is wired with speaker for use in a drive-in. Painted molded rubber on metal disc.
Mid-20th c.
9 x 10 x 10 inches

SHAKER DARNER
The ball rolls freely in it’s wooden socket which was used for darning. A wonder of Shaker craftsmanship and ingenuity. The socket was soaked to expand the wood and after the ball was inserted it shrank to hold it. The ball rolls in the hand like a large prayer bead. Initialed S.H.H. from F.A. August 1908 in ink on bottom.
2 x 2.5 x 2.5 inches


BUFFALO SCAPULA
Pair of buffalo scapula bone tools found in an outcropping along the Missouri River. Indians used every bit of the Buffalo they hunted. These may have been used to scrape and prepare the hides for use.


AARNE ANTON, THE MAN BEHIND American Primitive Gallery in New York City, recently added a new department on his website called “Cabinet of Curiosities.” Often called Wünderkammer (or, wonder-room), the term derives from the collections of unusual objects—groupings of such things as odd bugs, objects d’art, stuffed animals, antlers, claws, feathers, exotic sea shells, old coins, polished gem stones, shrunken heads, pressed plants, and man-made and natural curiosities brought back by sailors from distant lands. People interested in these curiosities would obtain them from travelers (or from their own travels) and display them in a room or “cabinet” for display.

I have always wanted my own home to be something akin to the Wünderkammer. It’s not there yet—and it may never be as long as people like Aarne Anton keep tempting me with these obscure objects to desire.

Great Objects of Mystery and Design

(Above) African American stone carving: 19th century, Georgia, 10.5 inches tall
(Above) Corn Grinders: convex and concave wood forms with forged iron teeth, 22 inches tall
(Above, left) Forged iron eel spear, 15 inches tall; Right: Bootjack with holes, c. 1900’s 15 inches tall
(Above) Early granite bust with sundial on chest with knotted rope and leaves; Believed to be English origin and possibly set along the coast to time the tides with the sundial. Note the carved “woven” cap. 21 inches tall.
(Above) Three cast iron objects as art: Left to right - (1) a cast iron bog shoe from Wisconsin; (2) a cast iron plow blade (3) cast iron railroad plate.

Aarne Anton of American Primitive Gallery in New York, has always had that rare ability to recognize an object with strong design, no matter what it used to be—and recontextualize that object for a new, discerning audience. (See the corn grinders, eel spear, boot jack and cast iron objects above).

To that point, I once saw an antique dealer arrange 20+ old rusty bed springs on the white wall of her gallery booth. The installation was so simple—and so beautiful. Lit from above, the curved cast shadows made for an incredible sight. I knew that, individually, those bed springs were worth about 25 cents apiece (or the time it would take to separate them from the mattress fabrication), but as they were presented that evening—I was looking at modern art. Price was not the issue. What I saw that evening was akin to haute couture in fashion. It takes courage to stand behind such a creative act, and in doing so, eyes are opened a bit further.

Aarne Anton will once again be exhibiting at the Outsider Art Fair (as he has every year for the past 16 past years). Not only does he exhibit work by self-taught artists, but he shows the highest quality folk art and objects. And, over the years Aarne has curated some memorable thematic shows at his gallery. His career is an art book waiting to happen. Be sure and check him out if you are ever in NYC. His gallery is located at 594 Broadway, Suite 205, in Soho. The gallery phone number is 212.966.1530. His email address is: american.primitive@verizon.net.