
Codie Lyons
Associate Specialist
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Sold for US$140.80 inc. premium
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Associate Specialist

Head of Department, Private & Iconic Collections, North America

Specialist, Head of Sale
Tramp Art refers to a specific type of folk art that was practiced in the United States from the end of the Civil War through the 1930's. The style is epitomized by the process of carving shapes and layers with a penknife. These intricate items are usually comprised of discarded cigar boxes, fruit crates, and other industrial boxes; any type of wood that was abundant and free. It is said that the carving style came from German and Scandinavian settlers and was spread through the country during the Civil War and after, due to proliferation of the railroad.
The items that were born of this genre are elaborate devotional objects, picture frames, boxes, chests, and more. With whimsical designs and loving details, the pieces created are geometric and textured.
While Tramp Art has historically been considered an itinerant trade, recent research has shed more light on the genre and revealed that it was made by settled working class men and women, as the objects are often large and intricately carved, and would not have lent themselves well to be transported.
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