1990 Bastian Painted Wood Carving Tribute to Wilhelm Schimmel Death Centennial
Description: A nice folk art carved solid wood sculpture of a man sitting on a chair with a whitling knife in one hand and a bird being carved in the other. The bird swivels in the man's hand. The man is sitting on a tree trunk and is wearing a green jacket. He has a mustache and black hair. He is wearing dark blue pants and black shoes. The carving is affixed to a squared wooden platform painted in green with the following notation; "1817 Willhelm Schimmel 1890/Tribute 1990" in yellow on the front of the base. The piece is obviously a commemorative carving for the centennial of Willhelm Schimmel’s death. The piece is marked on the back "#9 J. Bastian 90". The number 9 suggest that Mr. Bastian has made several of these figures and this is the nineth. It is not known how many he has carved and this is the first one we see in 30 years of collecting. The entire piece shows marks indicative of carving, shows great details, and is just great looking. It is signed and dated in black color on the bottom of the Schimmel's jacket on the back. Please carefully review the photos as they are part and parcel of our description.
Date: 1990. Origin: Purchased at an estate auction in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Mr. Batian who is originally from Kutztown, Pennsylvania now lives in Virginia.
Size: The base measures ~5 1/4" by 5 3/8" and is ~1 1/8" high. The carving is ~8 1/2" high to the top of Schimmels head. long and the swing is ~5 1/4" high by ~4 1/4" wide. The piece weighs slightly over 12 ounces.
Maker: Jonathan Bastian.
Marks: Marked #9 J. Bastian 90 in black on the back of the carving.
Distinguishing Characteristics - Most Interesting About The Piece: Truly a nice and interesting piece of American folk art commemorating the centennial of the death of Willhelm Schimmel the father pf Pennsylvania German wood Carving art. This unusual piece would make a great addition to your collection.
Condition: The carving is in excellent condition, with no breaks, cracks, losses, or repairs. It does have some minor scratches, a few minor dings to the surface, and some minor soiling, mainly dust. These issues are minimal and are difficult to see. The bird in Willhelm Schimmel's left hand swivels, which is original to the carving as it is being carved by the artist. All in all, a beautiful and very unusual piece to add to your collection of Folk art carvings. Please see photos to appreciate the beauty of the piece and for additional condition information.
