Wooden Cigar Store Indian
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This fascinating cigar store Indian chief is a spectacular example of Americana
Key Features
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- This cigar store indian chief is attributed to American master carver Samuel A. Robb
- Its high quality and condition make it a magnificent piece of Americana
- These figures were used to advertise tobacco products along busy Victorian-era streets
- A superior example such as this, on its original base, is a remarkable find
- Circa 1880
- Total height with pedestal: 70" high
Item Details
- Height:
58"; 70" w/pedestal Inches - Origin:
America
A magnificent piece of Americana, this marvelous cigar store chief, possibly by master carver Samuel A. Robb, is a wonderfully preserved example of the time-honored art of American wood carving. Dressed in a red and gold tunic and wrapped in a stylized fur cloak, this figure carries the emblems of the 19th-century tobacconist's trade, cigars and a plug of tobacco, as well as other items. Once the most effective and familiar forms of advertising, many of these American icons have suffered the ravages of time, weather, thieves and even fireplaces and only a small fraction remain, seldom appearing on the open market. A superior example such as this, on its original base, is a remarkable find. The figure stands upon its pedestal marked "Tobacco."
Statue: 58" high x 16" deep
Pedestal: 12 ½" wide x 16 ½" deep x 12" high
Circa 1880
Perhaps the most distinct and recognizable form of American folk art, the cigar store Indian was once a familiar sight along busy Victorian-era streets. Their carvers became the first documented European sculptors in America, and artists such as Samuel A. Robb and John L. Cromwell were some of the best known and most prominent of these craftsmen. Rare and distinctive parts of America's folk art history, figures such as this one are actively sought by cigar aficionados and collectors of Americana alike.
Reference:
Artists in Wood,1970, Frederick Fried
Statue: 58" high x 16" deep
Pedestal: 12 ½" wide x 16 ½" deep x 12" high
Circa 1880
Perhaps the most distinct and recognizable form of American folk art, the cigar store Indian was once a familiar sight along busy Victorian-era streets. Their carvers became the first documented European sculptors in America, and artists such as Samuel A. Robb and John L. Cromwell were some of the best known and most prominent of these craftsmen. Rare and distinctive parts of America's folk art history, figures such as this one are actively sought by cigar aficionados and collectors of Americana alike.
Reference:
Artists in Wood,1970, Frederick Fried
