Folk Art Carving of a Rooster

Wilhelm Schimmel (1817–1890), Carlisle County, Pennsylvania, circa 1880
Carved, gessoed, and polychrome-painted white pine.

4 ½ x 1 ½ x 3 ¼ inches

This finely carved rooster exemplifies Schimmel’s distinctive approach, combining expressive form with lively polychrome surface. Despite its small scale, the work conveys a strong sense of movement and character through confident carving and bold colour.

Schimmel is widely regarded as one of the most important American folk sculptors of the nineteenth century, and his carvings—often produced during a transient life in central Pennsylvania—remain among the most recognizable in the field.