African American figurines represent a significant intersection of art, history, and culture. These collectibles range from fine art sculptures to historical memorabilia, each telling a unique story about the African American experience.
Ebony Visions by Thomas Blackshear
Thomas Blackshear introduced Ebony Visions in April 1995 with the release of the first six Ebony Visions designs, The Storyteller, The Protector, The Nurturer, Siblings, Madonna and Tender Touch. Thomas Blackshear's Ebony Visions collection is a master work of romantic symbolism.
For centuries classical beauty has been portrayed predominantly by white artisans who represent white subjects in their art. He deliberately portrays his Ebony Visions figures in a timeless setting in order to transcend a specific time, place, or culture.
As with his paintings, these sculptures demonstrate Thomas Blackshear's incredible sense of design, unique eclectic style, and extraordinary mastery of color. Thomas Blackshear's Ebony Visions depicts a full range of emotions that are both powerful and at the same time subtle.
Several notable figurines from the Ebony Visions collection include:
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- The Protector: This striking figurine from Thomas Blackshear's acclaimed Ebony Visions collection is titled The Protector and was issued as a Delta Limited Edition of only 1,500 pieces. Crafted in 1995 by Willitts Designs, this powerful work depicts a noble guardian holding a child close to his heart while a black panther stands watch at his side. Richly detailed with flowing garments, expressive features, and a commanding stance, the sculpture captures themes of strength, vigilance, and devotion.
- The Tender Touch: Thomas Blackshear's Ebony Visions series is celebrated for its deeply expressive artistry, and The Tender Touch captures a moving moment of intimacy and connection. This limited edition figurine, designed for Willitts Designs in 1995, depicts a couple in a tender embrace, radiating warmth, love, and grace. The Epsilon Issue was limited to only 2,000 pieces worldwide, making this a sought-after collectible for admirers of Blackshear's visionary work.
- Sisters Forever In Childhood: This beautifully detailed sculpture portrays two young girls seated together, one tenderly braiding the other's hair, capturing the innocence and intimacy of childhood bonds. Richly painted in vibrant greens and blues, the girls are adorned with golden accents, delicate jewelry, and finely sculpted features, all resting upon a textured grassy base mounted on a polished wooden plinth.
Other figurines include The Sentinel, The Mentor, The Dark Knight, The African Kings, Mr. Big Stuff, Chillin, Sisters Forever, The Siblings, Joyful Noise, Planting a Kiss, Devoted Love, and Catching the Eye.
Ebony Visions Figurines
A lithograph by Thomas Blackshear II, titled "Swan Song," circa 1994, Pencil Signed & Numbered 737/1000 Lower Left.
Black Americana Collectibles
One of the more controversial groups of Americana collectibles is Black Americana, also referred to as Black Memorabilia, Afro-Americana, and Black Face Collectibles; phrases used to describe memorabilia or ephemera that relates to African American history.
Most of this material was produced from the 18th through the 20th centuries and ranged from pieces with very negative depictions of the cruelty of slavery to those that are more wholesome like the well-known Aunt Jemima, whose matronly and jovial nature was replicated on many pieces from cookie canisters to spice sets, dish towels, tea tins, etc.
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The most common forms of Black Americana include such items as Black Face Mechanical Banks, Cookie Jars, Boot Scrapes, Ceramic Novelties, Folk Art, Pickaninny Dolls, Illustrations & Prints, Advertising, and Children’s Books depicting negative connotations and stereotypes that today are seen as cruel and insensitive; however, not all Black Americana collections have a negative connotation nor are they amassed due to bigotry.
The derogatory nature of specific items, especially those mass-produced in the first half of the 20th century for commercial purposes, reflect a very different time in American history when it was acceptable to have black stereotypes not only in the home but everywhere.
Black Americans were often pictured in early advertising. Many of these representations are today deemed offensive but represent a period in our history of advertising.
Black Americana Advertising
Documents and artifacts that reflect the history of slavery is both an important and one of the most controversial collector categories for buyers and sellers of Black Americana.
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In 2022, Elizabeth Meaders, a 90-year-old retired teacher, auctioned off her personal collection of 20,000 artifacts documenting Black history for $1.5 million to a single buyer through Guernsey’s Auction House, keeping the collection intact. The assortment of pictures, posters, signs, statues, and memorabilia, amassed over seven decades, tell a comprehensive history of the Black American experience.
Collection of Black history memorabilia up for auction
In an article for Folklife, Black Americana collector David Pilgrim states, “At a time when many Americans are destroying racist objects, I am taking a different approach. I have spent more than four decades collecting Ku Klux Klan robes, segregation signs, and thousands of everyday objects that portray African Americans as dutiful servants, childlike buffoons, exotic savages, hypersexual deviants, and most disturbingly, menacing predators who must be punished. I collected these items because I believed-then later, knew-that objects, even hateful ones, can be used as teaching tools. In the mid-1990s, I donated the artifacts to Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, where I was a sociology professor.
The stereotype of the “mammy” - a kindly, overweight, African American servant woman - has been an archetype of institutional racism and misogyny in the US, giving a soft, revisionist veneer to the atrocities of antebellum slavery. Examples range from Hattie McDaniel’s portrayal of a plantation maid in the 1939 film Gone With the Wind to Aunt Jemima, whose grinning countenance still graces the boxes of pancake mix that bear her name.
Antique Black Figurines
An assortment of antique black figurines is available at 1stDibs. The range of distinct antique black figurines - often made from ceramic, porcelain and metal - can elevate any home. There are all kinds of antique black figurines available, from those produced as long ago as the 18th Century to those made as recently as the 20th Century. Many antique black figurines are appealing in their simplicity, but Royal Copenhagen, Bing & Grøndahl and Christian Thomsen produced popular antique black figurines that are worth a look.
Here's a brief overview of some notable antique black figurines:
- Late 19th Century European Antique Black Figurines: Hand-Painted 19th Century Bull Figurine located in Los Angeles, CARare, beautifully hand-carved and painted bull figurine with glass eyes from Naples, Italy
- Early 20th Century German Art Deco Antique Black Figurines: Monumental Pair of Chinese Qing Cloisonne Enamel Cranes Figurines Located in Long Island City, NYA pair of large antique Chinese cloisonne enamel crane figurines with long necks and legs. The
- 1910s German Art Nouveau Antique Black Figurines: Dorothea Charol Rosenthal Art Deco Pierrette Porcelain Figurine Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire figurine stands on a rounded and domed pedestal base with a gilded rim and black painted dome. The figurine
- 1920s Austrian Art Deco Antique Black Figurines: Standing young lady in a carnival costumeCategory1920s Austrian Art Deco Antique Black FigurinesBeautiful Silver Plated Toothpick Holder Figurine Rooster Vintage, Austria 1890sAn antique decorative toothpick holder figure. Made of silver plated metal. A nice original antique item for displaying or just to use on your table. The standing young lady holds a black mask in front of
Here's a table summarizing the estimated values of some Thomas Blackshear Ebony Visions figurines:
| Figurine Name | Estimated Value |
|---|---|
| The Protector | $200 - $800 |
| The Tender Touch | $50 - $200 |
| Sisters Forever In Childhood | $50 - $200 |
| Sisters Motherhood | $200 - $800 |
| The Sentinel | $10 - $200 |
| The African Kings | $200 - $800 |
| The Tender Touch | $200 - $800 |
| Sisters Forever | $200 - $800 |
| Joyful Noise | $200 - $800 |
| Catching the Eye | $200 - $800 |
