Pick up the pieces to gauge their weight. Chalkware pieces are heavy on the bottom. All chalkware is hollow, but old pieces are lighter because they lack the heavy plaster base that chalkware artists began to incorporate to keep the figurines from tipping over. Reproductions are heavier than old pieces.
How can you tell vintage chalkware?
With most pieces of Chalkware, look for completely molded pieces with no loss areas. Value is higher for those pieces that have intricate designs and strong painted decoration.
Is chalkware valuable?
Today an authentic piece in good condition could carry a price tag of several hundred dollars. More often than not, chalkware pieces were colorfully painted with either an oil-base paint or done with watercolors.
What is the difference between chalkware and ceramic?
During the 1800s and early 1900s, decorative objects for the home rose in popularity, but many were made of ceramic and too expensive for the average individual. Chalkware was a much more affordable alternative since it was made of less expensive gypsum plaster, and was easier and faster to make than ceramic.
What is Antique chalkware?
Chalkware is an American term for popular figurines either made of moulded plaster of Paris (usually) or sculpted gypsum, and painted, typically with oils or watercolors.
What is the difference between chalkware and plaster?
Plaster of Paris is a mixture of powdered and heat-treated gypsum. When mixed with water, the substance hardens into a smooth, solid object. Chalkware is a a form of plaster of Paris used to create figurine collectibles that was popular in the 19th Century in the United States. Click to see full answer.
When did chalkware become popular?
The art of chalkware designs really boomed in the 1950s and early ’60s when TV lamps and ornate multi-mold figures came on the market. The kitschy patterns and outrageous colors of post war chalkware that we are familiar with today are highly indicative of the era.
When was chalkware made?
Although chalkware was first made in America as early as 1768, it has come to be associated with Italian immigrants who peddled it in American cities in the mid-19th century. When unpainted, the surface resembled chalk. The hollow figures were made in a mold of gypsum, the main ingredient in plaster of paris.
How do you paint chalkware?
Painting Chalkware
Lightly sand the surface to remove any unwanted imperfections. Chalkware is very soft, so don’t press down too hard. Apply a thin layer of white gesso to seal the surface of the chalkware. Don’t dilute the gesso with water.
Is chalkware toxic?
More about gypsum
It is mined from the ground and is used in fertilizer, blackboard chalk, drywall, plaster, and chalkware. Gypsum is not poisonous but care should be used when working with it. Do not ingest gypsum or inhale the dust.
What is a Bosson head?
Have you ever seen the plaster painted heads hanging on someone’s wall and wondered what they were? Well, wonder no more. They are called wall sculptures, or simply Bossons after the English company that made them between 1946 and 1996 as ornaments for every room in the home.
What is a chalk figure?
In some cases trenches are dug and rubble made from material brighter than the natural bedrock is placed into them. The new material is often chalk, a soft and white form of limestone, leading to the alternative name of chalk figure for this form of art.
What is the difference between chalk and plaster of Paris?
As nouns the difference between gypsum and chalk
is that gypsum is a mineral consisting of the hydrated calcium sulphate when calcined, it forms plaster of paris while chalk is (uncountable) a soft, white, powdery limestone.
What is Marwal?
Marwal offered a wide variety of plaster of Paris statuary, among which were several variations of head and shoulder busts of Polynesian/Hawaiian woman/girls and men/boys. Spanish themes included head and shoulder busts of conquistadors, bullfighters, and senoritas.
How do you clean a chalk statue?
Care must be taken in cleaning them: they must never be soaked, rinsed or held under running water.
Dust chalkware regularly, using a dry, soft cloth, to prevent an accumulation of dirt. Use a cotton swab or a soft-bristled paintbrush to gently work on embedded and stubborn dirt, especially in recessed areas.
