Statues of Banjoists                                                                                                         WS11

 

My fondness for vintage banjos and viewing them as art objects very naturally attracted me to statues of banjo players. An extra incentive was the fact that Nancy's appreciation of them matches mine. Little information is available about these beautiful art objects. What we do know or believe is printed with each of the small photos below. Statues that are half of a pair are pictured individually and also as a pair. In addition some others are photographed together for purposes of comparison.

Two of these are fairly recent commissions and all the rest are quite old. Most are unsigned and unlabeled although a few bear some reference to Paris, France. I feel fairly certain that most were made somewhere in Europe. Although survivors are of about the same rarity as custom and/or presentation banjos, it is probable they were made in sizeable numbers based upon presumed set-up costs and on the observation that many of them show up in multiple sizes and variations. That is quite evident in my collection. Careful study of the poses and hand positions reveal that these sculptors were very skilled. In contrast to printed banjo art which is quite often caricature in style and quite derogatory, it is striking that most of this three dimensional art is realistic and complimentary. A couple of other generalizations are accurate and interesting. The statues may portray young or old banjoists but almost all of them are Black males.
   

 

Click to enlarge.

  

Black Man          18"  Bust 

Cast Bronze        Bronzed

Unsigned            1996

Boucher banjo, soft hat and vest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Man        16" Standing     

Terracotta         Painted 

c.1900              Unsigned     

 

Standing in front of a vase with a painted scene. Holding a banjo. 

Companion piece to the next photo.

The pair looks French to me.

 

 

 

 

Black Man        12" Seated      Majolica            Polychrome 

c.1900               Unsigned     

Seated on an actual bamboo chair, top hat, beard.

 

Artist is not identified but the bottom of the piece is stamped “4907" and “9".

 

Companion piece with next photo. This general pairing was made in 2 basic forms. The actual figures are the same size but clothing features of the man differ slightly as do the non-banjo instruments held by the lady. Rather than detachable bamboo chairs, the other basic form has the figures cast attached to a sizeable platform of majolica (see photo below).

 

Black Man         14 ½ “  Seated      Majolica             Polychrome           c.1900                Unsigned

Seated in a chair atop a large platform, all as a single piece of majolica.

 

Artist is not identified but the bottom of the piece is stamped “4907" and “9".

 

 This single figure was issued as half of a pair. That general pairing was made in 2 basic forms. The actual figures are the same size but clothing features of the man differ slightly as do the non-banjo instruments held by the lady. In contrast to this, the other version has the 2 people seated on actual bamboo chairs without a platform.( See photo above).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Man      32 “ Bust     

Metal              Painted           

c.1900            Unsigned     

Life size, wonderful pose, top hat and coat.

 

This statue has been found made of Terracotta, pot metal, or majolica. Those of Terracotta were painted. It has been speculated that the pot metal ones were made as art objects to sit outdoors.

 

When I acquired this one it was truly a wreck. Missing were the back of the banjo neck and the man’s left thumb. It had been painted by someone totally lacking any artistic taste. It was restored and painted locally to try to match the old paint on Jim Bollman’s lovely Terracotta example.

Black Boy      16"  Bust     

Metal              Painted         

c.1900            Unsigned     

Straw hat, insect on nose, adorable facial features and expression.

 

This exists in a surprising number of variations. The bust form was made in several sizes. The full figure form was made in multiple sizes and sitting upon different objects (stools, bamboo chairs, and bollards). Generally known as the “What A Fly” work since some renditions carry that name on a metal plate. Despite that name, the insect looks more like a bee to me. It is present on some versions and missing from the majority.

 

 

 

Black Man      15 “ Standing      Terracotta       Painted          

c.1900            Unsigned     

Top hat, dandy garb, long coat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Man     8 “ Bust      Terracotta      Painted         

c.1900           Unsigned     

Top hat, young man without beard.

 

Similar to next photo with different hat and of different composition.

 

 

 

Cat with banjo    3"

Vienna Bronze    Painted

1880s                 Unsigned

 
 

Man in blackface    22" Standing     

Cast Bronze

Polychrome Patinas             

Signed                    2001             

Joel Sweeney in stage pose and dress.

 

I commissioned this work by Rick Sarasin loosely based on an artist’s rendering of Sweeney on a  British sheet music cover from the 1840s (pictured on page 117 in the first Tsumura book).

 

 

 

Black Man         16" Standing      Terracotta          Painted

c.1900               Unsigned     

 

Standing in front of a vase with a painted scene. Holding a lute. 

Companion piece to the previous photo. The pair looks French to me.

 

Black Woman     12 ½"  Seated      Majolica              Polychrome      c.1900                 Unsigned     

Hair bun above head, dress with full skirt, holding a lute-like instrument.

 

Artist is not identified but the bottom of the piece is stamped “4907" and “9" and with one other figure I can’t identify.

 

Companion piece with previous photo. Refer to that piece for info. regarding other variations of this. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Man      9 ½ “ Bust      Metal              Painted       

c. 1900

 Metal plate on the base is stamped, “ Le Menestrel, par. P. Calvi “.   Top hat and beard.

 

This is a partial fabrication on my part. This figure was made as a life size statue that was painted and as a 9 -10 “ size that was bronzed. As far as is known it was not issued as a painted small statue. When I acquired a damaged small version with most of the banjo missing, I opted to have it professionally restored in epoxy and painted to resemble old paint. They should have made it this way ! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Boy      12" Seated      Terracotta       Painted           c.1900            Unsigned     

Floppy hat, open shirt, bare feet.

 

Sits very attractively on a shelf but may have been made with a chair.     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Man      8 “ Bust      Porcelain         Polychrome          c.1900            Unsigned     

Straw hat, Young man without beard.

 

Similar to the previous photo except different composition and hat.    

 

 

 
 

Black Boy          30 ½ “  Seated     

Metal                 Painted

c.1900               Signed     

Seated on a bollard with feet crossed. Same face as “What a Fly” statues  shown below..

 

“E. Guillemin” (last 4 letters in some doubt) on the lower end of the bollard. “ E. BLOT Ft” on the rocky base.

This exists in a surprising number of variations. The bust form was made in several sizes. The full figure form was made in multiple sizes and sitting upon different objects (stools, bamboo chairs, and bollards). Generally known as the “What A Fly” work since some renditions carry that name on a metal plate. Despite that name, the insect looks more like a bee to me. It is present on some versions and missing from the majority.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Man      12 1/4“  Standing      Majolica          Polychrome         c.1900            Unsigned      Standing in front of a Paris street device used for posting announcements.

 

Artist is not identified but bottom is stamped “1845". Made in Paris by Sarreguemines, famous majolica maker. Reference book says this work is rare and was made as a holder for pipe lighters or as a spill vase.

 

The notices posted include, “Salvation Army, Council of War”, “Pastilles Cepaud are the best sold

everywhere”, “ Drury Lane, Amy Obsart”, “Jubile (sic.) Blacking”, “Moses, Money Lender”, and

“_ermon, __verend, _bottle, Temperence Service, St. John, ONPU”.

 

Black Man      9 1/4" Bust      Metal              Bronzed     

c.1900            

 Signed “F. Calvi”      Green marble base, top hat, and beard..

 

In addition to “F. Calvi”, on the man’s left side is a figure of a melting pot above which is stamped, “ FABRICATION FRANCAISE”, and below, “PARIS” and “MADE IN FRANCE”.

 

 

 

 

 

Black Boy      15 “ Seated      Metal              Painted          

c.1900            Unsigned     

Seated on a metal stool (screwed together). Much smaller but identical figure as the boy seated on a bollard in the photo at the top of this column.

 

This exists in a surprising number of variations. The bust form was made in several sizes. The full figure form was made in multiple sizes and sitting upon different objects (stools, bamboo chairs, and bollards). Generally known as the “What A Fly” work since some renditions carry that name on a metal plate. Despite that name, the insect looks more like a bee to me. It is present on some versions and missing from the majority.

 

Black Boy      8 “ Bust     

Metal             Painted           c.1900           Unsigned     

Floppy holed hat, red & white shirt.     

 

This is one of the very few vintage statues of a banjoist that can reliably be traced to a specific, living person and is probably the most commonly seen. This image with the torn hat was copyrighted in 1889 by “ Havens’ Artistic Studies” using the title, “ I’se a Dude”, and appeared on the handle of a souvenir collector spoon called “Sunny South” made by a firm in Jacksonville, Fla. Their literature stated that the patent was “modeled from Johnnie Griffin, an Evening Telegram Negro newsboy”. This information was in Black Ethnic Collectibles in Jan./Feb. 1988

and that article contained several photographs.  His likeness has appeared on numerous commercial items including spoons, letter openers, photographs, inkwells, tie racks, and Rookwood mugs. Several other items were made and sold in England in the 1890s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

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