African American folk art opinions

Hey everyone what do you think about this one? Do you think this is dutreuil Barjon? Or attributed to? I have found 2 similar at auction and this is very good condition, too good? The PO said he got it from his father 30 years ago and his father was a collector. Looking up Dutreuil Barjon will bring up auctions and description. Any opinions?

 

Dunno. But the carved tie and pocket square wouldn't be period correct.

Debora

 

Interesting but too problematic for my taste.

 

How so?

 

There seems to be a family of similar "Minstrel Boys" -

This one looks legitimately 19th century, marked D.B., LBC and DA, "possibly by Pierre Charles Dutreuil Barjon":

https://caseantiques.com/item/lot-198-black-americana-figure-poss-dutreuil-barjon-new-orleans/

This one described as 19th century, and "Possibly carved by "Dutreuil Barjon, Jr.". Marked DB II, and S Y (or L S):

https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/rare_and_fine_folk_art_carving_of_a_minstrel_boy_-lot455037.aspx

This one is described as 20th century, and marked only with an A:

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/77532387_folk-art-carving-of-a-black-american-minstrel-boy

The last 2 clearly have some similarities with the one @Upyerkillt has posted. None seem to have solid connections to Dutreuil Barjon, father or son, who were cabinetmakers in 19th century New Orleans, other than the initials. Without more information, I think the relationship between them all will be a mystery.

 

I like that branch stool in the second image the most. Very cool looking.Will definitely buy that.

 

WOW! That one at Dan Morphy sold for $5500!!!!

 

I don't know who is selling this, nor the price, to give you any opinion on that. I was born and raised in and around NOLA, spent my life picking there, and still live nearby. It looks like a keeper to me.

IF it were my statue to acquire, I would at least put a deposit down to hold it. I would definitely ask to see the way the others shown in links were signed. That being said, even without this knowledge it all looks good to me and I think it's worth at least 5k on the resale flip, no matter who the artist was. It's not falsely aged, it's got "the LOOK" and it's old New Orleans where items such as this are still avidly collected.

 

Are you talking about the blue rickshaw?

 

Well,if you were anything other than black and had it in your home you might be accused of racism ! At least in America. Silly I agree,but its the climate we live in . I had a painting of 2 nude children on the beach,a lovely and poignant work,and lord did I hear "pedophilia" from more than one person . Nothing sexual in it at all,but again,the world we live in. I traded it to a Canadian boardie,apparently the rest of the world isnt as hysterical as Americans about things like that. Anything that remotely smacks of caricatures is too fraught for criticism.Just my humble and probably ill informed opinion.

 

@antidiem - As these figures seem to be a "thing", can you say how they would have been used? Are they decorative attendants who would sit on your porch? Or carnival props?

 

The guy i have has DB IV on the bottom and the one from morphys has DB II on the bottom so I was thinking perhaps a series of sorts.

 

Johnny, IMO it's really sad what the "woke" agenda has created.

Not carnival props, but old figurines for personal display decor.
The rickshaw is the perfect way to display this.

 

Doubtful it was ever a series. There were many more carved than one could imagine by many artists of the period. More likely it is DB the IVth who did the carving. Or a wanna-be, perhaps with the initials RY. Even if not done by DB, it's still a nice piece with good value that can be difficult to sell due to the self-righteous woke snowflake climate we live in now in the USA. That would be my only reason not to buy it.

 

That is an old children's rickshaw that I am going to do a restoration on and it does fit nicely.

 

"yes many people are pretty ridiculous"
Yes.
Plus government agendas push agendas to create civil unrest and eliminate history.

 

Yes, I like the rickshaw as much as I like the statue!
I hope you get a good price on them as a pair.

 

Didn't you show this on the board some years ago?

 

Are you talking about the low cypress top table in the 4th photo? Appears to have an old angle iron steel support for the base?
Boland, I cannot find the "branch stool" you saw?

Oh, I thought I saw $6,600 on it.. I do not remember what all that included though (as in the auction commission, taxes, fees). The original estimate was a low of $5k if I remember correctly. That statue was a particularly nice one.