Miniature Folk Art Building

Of all the miniatures I’ve owned and sold this is only the third example in metal. And because it always bears repeating, this is not a birdhouse, a doll house, an architectural model or a model railroad building of any sort.

Material-wise metal signals a much greater level of commitment than wood or cardboard in that it requires more specialized tools and skill sets. It might raise the question of whether or not this falls into the category of folk art or not because it is SO skilled, but I’m reasonably confident saying that there wasn’t someone out there making miniature metal buildings for a living. Making them at whim, as end-of-day or just to show off, however, is a different story all together.

This particular example is interesting to me because it blends two very different and unrelated architectural styles. One end seems to be a vernacular American farmhouse style with a summer kitchen or enclosed porch while the other is more American Tudor minus the dark exterior trim elements. The fact that the rendering also includes the house’s foundation and even cellar windows signals that this is likely a portrait.