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Joseph Gregory, folk art carved rooster with leather comb

One of the best parts of spring is the return of all the wildlife, but with a collection of folk art animals, you can have little critters around all year long!  Folk art animals are usually carved from small bits of wood and decorated with paint.  They come from all areas of the country, and while some modern carvers like Joseph Gregory (pictured here) have created names for themselves that command large prices, many of these little creations have no known origin.  In most cases, their value is attached to the quality of the carving, the decoration and the originality, so they can be an affordable, charming collection to develop.

Folk art carved wood pig

There’s certainly no lack of variety.  You can take your pick from winter’s familiar old friends like the cardinal and the blue jay to the creatures of spring like squirrels and frogs, or you can create your own barnyard with roosters, ducks, horses and pigs.  Some collectors like to build a collection of just one kind of animal, while some like more exotic options, such as tigers or penguins.  In time, you may even want to create your own Noah’s Ark!

-Hollie Davis, Senior Editor, p4A.com

Sailor's 'Think of Me' double shell work valentine

No doubt about it, sailors were the rambling men of the 18th and 19th centuries.  Sweethearts back home might not hear from them for months or years at a time, but to make up for it, many sailors brought presents home from exotic ports when they finally returned.  Among the most common trinkets was a object called a sailor’s valentine: a box, usually octagonal, usually double-sided and hinged, that contained an artful arrangement of shells, just like the one pictured here.

The name is a bit of a misnomer, however, as we now know that it was unlikely that sailors could have accomplished such delicate work while being tossed about on the sea.  Sailor’s valentines were actually a cottage industry in the Caribbean, particularly on Barbados.  Some even bear the phrase “Present from Barbados” in the design of the shells.  The boxes, normally of mahogany or Spanish cedar, often had slogans like “Forget Me Not” or “Home Again,” while others had simple geometric designs.  Some had space reserved for inserting photographs.  Occasionally, single-sided ones appear, although some have been separated in the modern era for sale purposes.  Regardless of their apocryphal origins, the delicate, sentimental nature of a sailor’s valentine would appeal to any sweetheart!

-Hollie Davis, Senior Editor, p4A.com

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