Primitive antiques is a broad term describing early American household items from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. Primitive antiques, as opposed to Victorian or colonial antiques, evoke a nostalgic aesthetic for handmade, everyday items. Examples include wooden crates, vintage enamelware, handmade pottery and flour sack towels. Primitive antiques are part of country-style decor, which has become very popular. It is a "decorating style that is an authentic reflection of the everyday lives of regular people," Jessie Walker writes in "Jessie Walker's Country Decorating."
History
Primitive items were the utilitarian or "make-do" items used by early Americans in their everyday lives, from 1700s colonists through the Great Depression of the 1930s. Often, these items were made at the person's home from everyday materials such as wood, pottery, and early textiles like muslin and wool.
Types
Primitive antiques fall into many categories: furniture, household wooden items, kitchen items, metal items, pottery, household textiles, and decorative items like pillows, rugs, curtains, and wall decor. Metal items can be made of tin, copper, or enamelware. Rugs can be wool or cotton, and come in varieties like braided, wool hooked, and penny rug style. Kitchen items may be pots and pans, utensils, and tools such as a cheese grater. Household textiles can be cotton, muslin, wool, linen, burlap, or any other natural material. Wall decor consists of stitched samplers, painted landscapes or portraits, and wooden signs. Primitive antique pottery includes yellowware, redware and stoneware. Children's toys and games have also become popular primitive antique collectibles.
Design
Primitive antiques are characterized by their hand-made quality and early American designs. Primitive antiques often feature folk art designs of birds, animals, flowers and fruits. Primitives were designed in a simplistic fashion, with a rough or hand-hewn quality. These household and farm items were designed to be used, not decorative.
Colors
Primitive antiques have survived decades or centuries of wear, so their colors are usually faded and the paint chipped. Popular colors for primitive antiques are muted or distressed, and come in shades of black, colonial blue, barn red, mustard, sage green and cream. Primitive antiques were often painted with organic plant-dye paints, which do not hold the color as long as modern paints. Many collectors find the muted colors part of the antiques' appeal.
Collecting
Collectors seek out early American antiques made before 1930, with a handmade or rough-hewn quality to the item. Chips, cracks, stains and distressed paint add to the overall look, and a piece that is not in perfect condition should not be discounted. Different parts of the United States feature different types of primitive antiques. Any household item with an antique, faded, distressed, handmade, or simplistic design can qualify as a primitive antique.
Speaking of Primitive Antiques, check out this weeks BLOG SPECIAL from Dealer #152 located on Aisle 1 North Booth B-5. Regular price for this Primitive Farm Table & 4 Rush Seat Chairs is $600.00, but from Thursday, January 19,2012 until 6:00 p.m. Wednesday January 25, 2012 you can have it for JUST $300.00!! Code Word is PRIMITIVE. Below is a photo:
Lots of Fun Things are going to be happening at The Antique Gallery in the coming months! Make sure you keep checking our Blog.
Did you know that The Antique gallery has Lay-A-Way? Ask any friendly employee and they will explain the policy to you.
Are you an art lover? A Military Collectible lover? A lover of unique items? Then be sure to check out the A.G.C.A.P. Dealer of the Month's Booth, Alan Wilcox, located on the South Side of the Mall Booth K-1 & L-1 located next to the cashier booth. Below is a photo of Alan's Booth:
He has lots of nice things, so make sure you visit his booth, and remember our Motto this year:
OUT WITH THE NEW AND IN WITH THE OLD!
Check back next week!
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