Vintage Iron Casting - Cherub or Angel - Church Salvage This lovely cast sculpture of an angel or cherub measures 7 inches across and nearly 11 inches in height and is cast in what I believe to be iron. The piece was part of the inside decor at St. Catherine's Church, in eastern Pa., prior to recent and extensive renovations. The piece can be mounted through the two holes which held it in place on the church walls, or it would make a wonderful addition if placed amoung blooming flowers as a garden stepping stone. Heavy and highly detailed, this lovely little being would make a wonderful gift.
Condition: antique - as found
Manufacturer: old iron casting - unknown  

Incredible Antique Prancing Horse Weathervane Sculpture Sculpted from copper and formed into this gorgeous likeness of a proud prancing horse, this weathervane figure represents a true ‘one of a kind’ piece of late 19th century American Folk Art. If indeed it was the intent of the artist who created this fine looking horse, was to see it placed high up on someone's rooftop to serve as a wind or weather vane, I have no doubt his creation would have thrived outside in the elements for many decades without a problem. Personally I am more inclined to think there was someone who so liked this beautiful piece, they simply could not bring themselves to place on their roof and see it subjected to the torments of nature. I base my reasoning on what the horse itself is able to tell me of its history.
I am certain this wonderful statue is at least as old as I am, which means it is most definitely more than 50 years of age. I base that conclusion on the overall condition of the copper itself, as well as on those small remnants of verdigris and patina that have avoided the dust rag and accumulated in the little creases and crevices and more protected areas of the figure. I also feel it quite possible the this horse dates back in time a great deal further than that, but without the help of an artist’s signature or a maker's mark, determining exactly when or where this lovely old horse was so skillfully brought to be is virtually impossible.
The structure also holds several clues as to the history of this sculpture. In particular it is the cross members and bracings, which provide the support needed by our proud friend, are still very firmly attached to the animal's hooves. The method and style employed are similar in design to many of the weathervanes one might see that can be traced to about the early 1900's.
Instead of standing atop a lightning rod, this proud horse has a nice flat wooden surface on which to perform his graceful steps. When you ad the fact that the piece stands
over 12 inches tall at his head, this fine looking animal will quickly become the pride of his new owner's collection and will continue to draw the attention of anyone who happens by for many years to come. JM

Weight before packing is over 6 pounds. Insurance is required for shipping.

Condition: good
Manufacturer: unknown - vintage American folk art  

Old Baltimore Tin Finial w/ Brass Eagle - signed This is one of Mr Picker's favorite works of art. The effort it took to restore this old tin finial from the Old Baltimore Harbor area was a real labor of love. I'll give you the rest of that story in a bit, but wanted to say that he decided this old brass flag finial sculpture of an eagle swooping down to land, would make this piece of tin into a work of art. After adding a small, clear, diamond pattern glass lightning ball to the top, the sculptured was signed on the back by JM Picker and measures close to 3 feet in height by 1 foot square.
Now the rest of the story.
this old tin finial, along with several other very similar decorative finials, once graced the roof-line of an old building in the city of Baltimore. Supposedly, the building was built in the early 1900's not far from the docks that connected Baltimore to the Atlantic Ocean by way of the Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, many years later the building was abandoned and soon fell into disrepair. Somewhere around the early 1980's, the structure was torn down to make way for sweeping renovations that eventually became what many of us now know as Baltimore's Inner Harbor. To get back to the story, a group of these finials were loaded into a scrap bin, destined for the salvage yards. It was nothing but pure luck that they were spotted by one of the construction workers who pulled the battered metal pieces from the ruins and took them home. These pieces were never repaired or put to use by the man who saved them and it wasn't until after his death that they were uncovered once again. This time the old finials were found inside several large cardboard boxes that had been tucked away under a workbench in the garage of the man who found them. The garage was part of his estate and became the property of his only son. Sometime later, they ended up here with me. There is no doubt that time left its mark on these old pieces of tin. Their paint has peeled and the metal has nearly all separated at the joints. These pieces were in rough shape when they were first found and in even rougher shape when they finally got to me. Even so, when I saw them, I decided they were too nice to throw away. In the end I came to the conclusion that the only way these finials could be restored without destroying their natural patinas with the heat and other preparation it would take to solder or weld them back together was to glue them. So we clamped all four sides of each piece around some makeshift supports, then tape the pieces back together, first on the outside, then on the inside, until finally they were strong enough that we could coat all the seams on the inner side with heavy construction grade glue. Judging by the finished job that stands before me now, I would have to say the idea turned out to be a winner.
Condition: repaired - as found
Manufacturer: Unknown US  

Set of Early Hand Painted Amish Figures cast by Wilton
From an old rural Philadelphia estate, we offer this wonderful pair of solid cast iron figures, depicting a Lancaster County Amish; ( Pennsylvania Dutch ) man and woman. As is usually the case with these 'plain folk', both man and woman are hard at work and dressed in traditional, handmade Amish clothing. An interesting fact which many people do not know about the Amish is that no buttons appear on their clothing. Simple hook and eye attachments are used instead and rather than a belt, Amish men are always seen wearing suspenders to hold their plain black trousers in place.
This is a very early Wilton made Amish figural set, dating back to the late 1950's and owned from new by the same family.
These good quality, hand painted castings weigh about 5 pounds and are marked; (faintly) inside the piece, beneath the figures, with Wilton's impression. The colors have aged wonderfully and of the handful of similar figures I have seen through the years, this is by far the best looking of them all. Measurements are approximately 4.75 inches tall, 3.50 wide and 2.75 inches deep. Made to use as bookends, or perhaps even doorstops, these old metalware sculptures would also look quite nice simply sitting side by side where they can be seen and appreciated. Likely this set was originally purchased from a Lancaster County gift shop, as the original owners had family in the York County area and often traveled back and forth, passing through the heart of Pa. Dutch county and through the blossoming tourist district of Lancaster, Pa.

Condition: antique - good
Manufacturer: Wilton  

American Eagle on Antique Iron Finial One of Mr. Picker's most recent creations, these already classic individual pieces have been lovingly married into a finished work that is almost magical to behold.
The American Eagle about to land on the marvelous old iron finial is a vintage cast aluminum creation with the original gold paint. The paint is lovely and has weathered to show darker shades from direct sunshine. This lovely large eagle actually once stood atop a Town Hall in a small Montana community, but now is about to land on a wonderful cast iron globe finial that once graced the turret of a southern Pennsylvania Victorian home. The finial rest on top of one of the bases from a porch post that also came from the same old Victorian. All these pieces are authentic and together they create a work of architectural art that is stunningly beautiful. Signed by Mr. Picker, and standing nearly 30 inches high, this one of a kind work of art is certain to become the focal point of any room it occupies.
Condition: antique
Manufacturer: Vintage Americana  

The Race, by C. Jere - signed and dated 1982 Picker's is pleased to offer an extremely rare, vintage wall sculpture by the famed artist, Curtis Jere, hand signed, C. Jere and dated by 1982. To anyone who loves horses or horse racing, this piece might well be considered almost priceless, but what really makes this colorful sculpture rare, is the way Jere has combined his vision of a horse and his jockey, speeding down the track in the heat of a harness race, with the simple, classic image of an old fashioned weather vane. This is truly a unique sculpture by Jere, and it has been kept in very good condition. We believe this will make a perfect addition to any room, be it your home, your office, or even above the mirror in the lounge of your favorite racetrack.
Condition: very good
Manufacturer: C. Jere