Do you ever wonder the history of items? What about Primitives? I
have always loved primitives, the bright colors, the unusual designs, nothing
had to be perfect…they all have a quirkiness about them. When I was an antique
dealer in the mid 1990’s, Americana and Primitives is what I specialized in and
they will always be my passion…so here is a little history of “Primitives”.
Primitive furniture was made for “make-do” items and were used by
early Americans in their everyday lives from the 1700’s colonists through the
Great Depression. They were plainly made pieces of furniture and smalls used in
place of popular furniture of the era until such times as a better piece could
be purchased. Since these pieces were not meant to survive, they were
expendable, therefore they are rare to find today and therefore much more
valuable. Primitives are usually made from rough-hewn wood. Since they were not
meant to last that long, they were never painted…..then years later, when they
did last, people began keeping them and then painted them. Since these items
have lasted for decades, the paint is fading and the paint chipping, some
painted over multiple times, so you can frequently see more than one color on
them. The most popular colors of primitives are colonial blue, barn red,
mustard, sage green, white, and cream.
Primitives often feature folk art designs of birds, animals,
flowers, and fruits on them. Primitives were all designed to be used, not for
decorative purposes.
What I like the most about primitives is that they were not
designed in a store or warehouse, but just built by someone in their home, from
everyday materials like wood, pottery, and muslin or wool. They were trying to
make a piece of furniture that they needed at that time (pie safes, cupboards,
jelly cabinets, candle holders, etc), and my favorite thing about them…..THERE
IS NO ONE PIECE ALIKE!!!
