Last week I went to an auction with the hope of purchasing a particular piece of folk art (an Izannah Walker doll in a green dress) and the Universe said, "No." Or maybe the Universe said, "Not yet"? Is the Universe God or my budget or my common sense? I'm not sure.
One of the pieces of folk art - an Izannah Walker boy doll - sold for $62,000. I was not bidding on it. But that doll is an iconic image of American culture of a particular period AND of Izannah Walker's work. He's special in a lot of ways. Each Izannah Walker doll is a very specific creation - a 3-dimensional folk art portrait if you will. Owning one doll doesn't mean you won't want another. They were hand-made dolls, and so even dolls from the same mold will have a unique presentation.
I didn't get an Izannah doll at the Withington auction, but I did come home with two nice dolls. One I bought from a dealer, and the other I purchased at the auction. The proceeds from the auction of Carol Corson's collection will be going to the school she loved so much. The doll I won is a black cloth boy or man doll which was intriguing. I hadn't previewed him, but when I saw the cloth applied ears I put my bidding card UP. This doll is not an Izannah Walker doll but that ear reminds me of the ears on a Walker doll. This is unpainted, of course. I'll be sharing more images of him soon. I may or may not keep him. My folk art doll collection is a revolving one. I enjoy studying them, but have a specific limit of space and dollars for folk art dolls.
I am thankful that I had the opportunity to document the Izannah Walker dolls before they were sold. I don't take these opportunities lightly. The dolls have all moved on to their next homes, and I am sure will be cherished there.
On the way home I stopped in York, Maine to go antiquing and somehow ended up in the Olde York Gaol. LOL. This made me think of my dad, who loved history, and would have told me all about which family members were from York, Maine.
In addition to the dolls and some antique doll clothing, I also came home with lots and lots of thoughts, which I am sorting through. It's a Dixie thing!
And so, I will close with a link to a poem which ends with , "You can't have it all but there is this." It's worth reading.
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