High Tramp Art and Antiques

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High Tramp Art and Antiques

High Tramp specializes in accessible Tramp Art, Folk Art, Self-Taught and Outsider Art,

08/02/2026

An unusual example of tramp art constructed as a purely sculptural object rather than a functional box or frame. The pyramidal form is built from 17 progressively stacked layers of wood, each edge carefully chip-carved with the repeated notching characteristic of traditional tramp art. A dark, aged patina is accented with touches of gold paint, emphasizing the stepped geometry and giving the surface additional depth. The sculpture rests on four small brass bell-shaped feet. 6 x 8 x 8 inches.

Tramp art was popular from roughly the 1870s through the 1940s and was typically made by layering and carving thin pieces of reclaimed wood, often salvaged from cigar boxes or shipping crates. Despite its name, the work was not necessarily produced by itinerant tramps; the term broadly describes a distinctive method of construction based on repetitive notch carving, stacked architectural forms, and the transformation of humble materials into highly detailed objects.

While most surviving examples take the form of boxes, frames, or small cabinets, this pyramid has no apparent utilitarian purpose. Its concentration on symmetry, repetition, and silhouette gives it the presence of an abstract architectural model or small folk art monument.

07/29/2026

Original Prophet Royal Robertson Double-Sided Drawing with Biblical Verses, c. 1997
marker and mixed media on paper
22 × 28 in.

An original double-sided drawing by the celebrated self-taught artist Prophet Royal Robertson, created circa 1997. Executed in marker and mixed media on paper, the composition centers on a visionary futuristic temple or cityscape enclosed within a bold badge-like form, surrounded by handwritten biblical passages and deeply personal inscriptions characteristic of Robertson’s singular visual language.

The drawing references several passages from scripture. The biblical references—including Leviticus 20, Ezekiel 16, and Proverbs 2, 7, and 14—are central to Robertson’s visual language. Together, these passages address adultery, temptation, moral judgment, and divine justice, reflecting the artist’s deeply personal interpretation of his wife’s perceived infidelity through the lens of scripture. By weaving these verses into his visionary compositions, Robertson transforms autobiography into prophecy, fusing religious conviction with futuristic imagery in a way that is uniquely his own.

Highly sought after by collectors of self-taught, outsider, and visionary art, this double-sided work exemplifies Robertson’s unmistakable fusion of spiritual conviction, science fiction-inspired architecture, and autobiographical mythology.

07/28/2026

Stanley Szwarc (1928–2011)
Stainless steel
6 × 5 × 3 inches
Signed July 1, 2004

A hinged stainless steel box by Polish-American self-taught artist Stanley Szwarc, decorated with an intricate arrangement of spot-welded geometric elements. Small circles, squares, cylinders, strips, and perforated forms create a dense, rhythmic pattern across the polished metal surface. Although Szwarc frequently returned to the box format, each object was individually composed, and no two designs were alike.Born in Poland, Stanley Szwarc immigrated to the United States in 1977 and began working at a Chicago-area metal shop in 1980. By the late 1980s, he had started transforming discarded industrial scraps into boxes, vases, and other functional forms, developing each object intuitively and without preliminary drawings. Szwarc compared his process to musical improvisation, describing the repeated forms and shifting patterns of his metalwork as analogous to melody and rhythm. His work occupies a distinctive position between sculpture, craft, folk art, and outsider art, combining elaborate ornamentation, inventive material reuse, and the transformation of ordinary objects into highly individualized sculptural forms.

Like many of the most compelling self-taught artists, Szwarc was driven by an unstoppable need to create rather than by the pursuit of recognition. Although he received a modest degree of attention during his lifetime—including the Folk Art Society of America’s Award of Distinction in 2005, a two-person exhibition at the Brickton Art Center in 2007, and a small solo presentation at Chicago’s Intuit Art Center in 2016—his primary motivation remained a deeply personal compulsion to make and an unwavering determination to meet his own exacting standards.

07/27/2026

High Tramp will be heading to the Taconic Antiques Fair this September!

We’ll be bringing a fresh selection of American folk art, tramp art, Southern pottery, self-taught art, and other unusual objects that have caught our eye. If you’ve been meaning to see High Tramp in person, stop by and say hello.

Taconic Antiques Fair
📍 Columbia County Fairgrounds, Chatham, NY
September 26–27, 2026
Saturday: 9 AM–5 PM
Sunday: 10 AM–4 PM

07/26/2026

Early 20th-century tramp art box featuring a cube-shaped body raised on a distinctive pyramidal pedestal base. Measuring 9 inches high by 8 inches wide and 8 inches deep, the box displays the layered construction and hand-notched carving associated with traditional cigar-box tramp art.

The hinged lid opens to reveal a removable, three-section interior tray. Lifting the tray exposes a concealed storage compartment beneath, adding an unusual and functional element to the design. The underside of the lid retains part of the original cigar-box branding, burned into the wood with the word “Nation” and a small logo resembling a hummingbird. A partial interior label reads “…Londres, Gran…,” likely referencing the original cigar variety or manufacturer.

07/22/2026

Original painting by Leonard Jones, executed in oil-based house paint on reclaimed roofing tin, measuring 13 × 14 inches and signed by the artist. The work depicts a rustic still life of a country ham, limes, and a simple kitchen table, while the weathered roofing tin serves as an integral part of the composition, reflecting Jones’ ability to transform humble materials into evocative expressions of rural Southern life.

Born in 1955 and still living in Lincoln County, Georgia, Leonard Jones is a self-taught artist whose paintings celebrate the people, traditions, and everyday moments of rural Southern life. Working with vibrant house paint applied by brush, broken sticks, and even his fingertips, he has developed a distinctive style that has earned widespread recognition. His work has been exhibited nationally, is included in the House of Blues collection, and stands among the most compelling examples of contemporary Southern self-taught art. AmericanFolkArt

07/21/2026

Equal parts folk art, puzzle, and feat of patience, these intricate carvings transform a single piece of wood into an impossible chain of interlocking links, spheres, cages, and geometric forms—all carved without breaking the wood apart.

07/19/2026

Robert E. Gilbert (REG), Futuristic Landscape with Alien Flora, Signed & Dated 1984

Colored pencil on paper
10 x 14 inches

This imaginative colored pencil drawing by Robert E. Gilbert (REG) presents a surreal extraterrestrial landscape populated by fantastical plant life, crystalline rock formations, and a futuristic elevated roadway carrying streamlined vehicles across the horizon. Executed with richly layered colored pencil, Gilbert creates a dreamlike vision that reflects his lifelong fascination with science fiction and speculative worlds. Signed and dated “1984” in the lower right, the work dates from the final decade of the artist’s career.

Robert E. Gilbert of Jonesborough, Tennessee, was active from the 1940s through the 1980s and is best known for his contributions to science fiction fandom. During the 1950s through the 1970s, he produced pen-and-ink illustrations for numerous science fiction fanzines while also developing a personal body of work in oil, pastel, watercolor, and colored pencil. His paintings and drawings frequently explored futuristic civilizations, alien landscapes, spacecraft, and imagined technologies, revealing both technical precision and an inventive visual imagination. Gilbert continued experimenting with new styles and media throughout his career until his passing in 1993.

07/13/2026

Figural pottery dog by North Carolina folk potter Billy Ray Hussey, modeled after the iconic Staffordshire spaniels produced in 19th-century England. Hand-formed and glazed in Hussey’s distinctive style, the sculpture balances the symmetry and formality of traditional Staffordshire figures with the expressive character and robust modeling that define his work. Signed and stamped “BH.”

Raised in Seagrove, North Carolina, Hussey learned pottery from his great-uncle, master potter M.L. Owens, and established his own studio in 1988. While he initially became known for face jugs, by the early 1990s he had shifted his focus to figural animals, including lions, dogs, bears, and horses. Drawing inspiration from historic Staffordshire ceramics, Hussey reinterprets these familiar forms through the lens of Southern folk pottery, creating works that are both deeply rooted in tradition and distinctly his own.
Hussey’s work is represented in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Mint Museum, and the North Carolina Museum of History, among other institutions, and has become an important example of contemporary Southern folk ceramics.

Dimensions: 6.5 x 7 inches.

07/11/2026

Vintage hand-carved wooden whimsy chain featuring two carved caged balls connected by a series of elongated diamond-shaped links. Executed from a single piece of wood, the chain demonstrates the traditional folk art technique of carving interconnected elements in situ, requiring careful planning and precision to produce the freely moving links and captive spheres.

The warm natural wood and elongated proportions emphasize the sculptural quality of the piece, while the two caged balls serve as focal points within the rhythmic sequence of carved links. Pieces of this type were often created as demonstrations of carving skill and patience, reflecting a long tradition of decorative folk craftsmanship.

Length: 49.5 inches.

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New York, NY

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