Harvey Pranian, A Man Who Knows His Stuff

Rare peacock weathervane form. Made of heavy sheet iron and showing its original green surface. From a private collection in Southern Indiana where it has remained since the mid 1970’s. circa 1890 - 1915

Punch, Judy, the Servant, the Clown, or Jester. The Baby and Crocodile not pictures but are part of the grouping. Excellent condition, Original clothes. Dimensions: H 24in

An exceptional example of the tramp art tradition. Extreme attention to detail, showing superb skill. Excellent condition. circa1900-1925 Dimensions: H 67.5in, W 39.25in, D 21.5in

Nashville Week, and all of the excitement that surrounds it, has been going on for the past thirty-one years, and Harvey Pranian, harveyantiques.com, has been there since the beginning. He’s been in the business for thirty- seven years and specializes in American folk art, American Indian art, American painted furniture, decorative arts, textiles, hooked rugs and quilts including, Amish quilts and African American quilts. He’s also known for having great antique jewelry and amazing Outsider art. Then, of course, there are his incredible weathervanes, whirligigs, walking stick, signs and advertising. Are you getting the picture here? If it’s a great antique that’s best-of-kind, if it’s folky, quirky, graphic, culturally unique, exquisite (as in, his jewelry) or remarkable in other ways, Harvey has probably owned it at one or another. With all of this experience he’s gained a knowledge of antiques and art that few people can claim, making him one of the most respected dealers in the business.
When I spoke with Harvey last week he told me he’s ready for the Tailgate-Music Valley Show this February 2nd-4th. He said he’s recently purchased 30-50 items from estates in his area, Evanston, IL, that he’ll feature in his booth. Just a little “heads up” folks.

The Not So Trivial Nature of Trivets

A few days ago I received this interesting and informative email message, with the photos shown here, from our long time Tailgate-Music Valley dealer and friend, Carroll Swope.
“David and I are looking forward to the new Hendersonville location.
Among our wares will be a group of brass trivets with a few shown.
Today one can simply turn the stove onto high or medium; likewise the oven to 350 degrees.
With fireplace cooking the height of the trivet controlled the heat. In kitchens mostly iron trivets, broilers, and toasters were used, and these also can be very handsome objects. Brass trivets were intended for a parlor or a bedchamber.
They can also adapt swimmingly for a decoy, plant, or basket of Christmas greens.”
She followed up with this helpful hint.
“A Footnote~~~Because brass perhaps needs a bit of a cleaning, try this simple plan to make your own paste~~~Equal parts of salt, flour and vinegar. Rub paste on brass, wait 10 minutes, rub off with a soft cloth, rinse and buff.”
Thanks Carroll. Good to know.