Antique American Tramp Art Carved Wood Crucifix John Zadora Pennsylvania 1900

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A good large antique American Tramp Art crucifix, by John Zadora, Pennsylvania circa 1900.
The crucifix as with many tramp … Read more A good large antique American Tramp Art crucifix, by John Zadora, Pennsylvania circa 1900.
The crucifix as with many tramp art works is chip-carved from found wood, cigar boxes or shipping crates this one most likely pine, the crucifix is raised on a geometric pyramid stepped base.
The central figure of Christ (corpus) and accompanying plaques of a skull and crossbones and a saw tooth sun behind Christ's head are all made of white metal.
The crucifix is indistinctly signed "Zadora" to the base, very good antique condition.

Tramp Art has it's beginnings in the 1860s and was driven by re-purposing wooden cigar boxes that would be carved & decorated into whimsical folk art items, It was not until the late 1950s that this was recognized as an art form. John Zadora is one of only a few recorded artists and was from Pennsylvania, near the Allentown area, one of his pieces was the very first piece identified as Tramp Art in 1959.
Mr. Zadora was in prison, allegedly for not supporting his wife, and he made these wall pockets with wings, doves, hearts & horseshoes, sadly little more is know about his history. See less