Sold: Early Hearse Panel

Antique hand-carved wooden panel from a horse-drawn hearse, c. mid-19th century. A stunning example of folk art carving. The trompe l’oeil effect is surreal: the folds in the somber wooden mourning curtains are sinuous and lively, giving the illusion of motion, like ripples on black water—of the River Styx, perhaps?

A suite of these panels would have been inset into the frame of a horse-drawn hearse which once led funeral processions to the cemetery. The carved wooden curtains were intended to recall a more lavish and traditional funeral carriage laden with black mourning drapery. Already weighted with symbolism, the funereal folk carving seems to speak to the impenetrable mystery and certainty of death, but also the fixed nature of fate. Carved in wood, this final curtain does not fall, but is set before us, undeniable and irreversible.

From a Vermont collection of folk art hearse panels.

Measurements

35.5 inches tall

15.5 inches wide

1.25 inches deep

Condition

Very good antique condition, with a few scratches, minor paint loss, and chips at the edges.

Shipping

Free in the continental United States. If an international buyer, please contact me for a shipping estimate by clicking here.