Page 10 - joa oct 22

WHAT’S SELLING ON eBay
WHAT’S SELLING ON eBay

by Philip Hawkins and Mike McLeod

$6,108 (65 bids, 13 bidders): Rucus Studio Original Wicked Weeds
Witch #3, Devil’s Trumpet, Antique, Halloween. Wicked Weeds, curious
and potent elements cooked in a boiling cauldron. Each witch adds her
favorite ingredients: deadly nightshade, poison hemlock, or devil’s trumpet,
to help create a most spirited concoction.
This witch was created by me, Scott Smith of Rucus Studio. Each is made
using antique fabrics, wood, wire, papier-mache, and acrylic paint. Their
clothes have been heavily stained and aged. The blooming weeds they hold
were handmade by me also, using vintage crepe paper and painted fabric.
the finest examples—if not the finest—of this type of early French multi-
Figures are mounted to a painted wood base that is signed and dated. seal. It would be an important addition to any seal collection and indeed
She stands 21.5 inches tall x 7.5 inches wide. (Photos courtesy of and used
to anybody involved in the popular hobby nowadays of making jewelry
with permission of eBay seller nightbeforechristmas, www.RucusStudio.com.) from these old seals. The seal itself measures 77mm tall, and each matrix
measures 12mm x 13.5mm. (Photos courtesy of eBay seller flikmywick.)
PH: Established in 2000, Rucus Studio
is a Michigan-based producer of holiday PH: Seals have been used since ancient times for a variety of purposes, usually
character figures, decorative acces- for authentication, legitimacy, and identification purposes. Wax seals for
sories, and novelties. The mastermind individual use, of the type here, became most prevalent in the 18th century
behind the name is Scott Smith. Items and were used primarily to seal stationery for mailing without an envelope
can be purchased new through the by sealing the fold or to seal an envelope but also to provide the identity
Rucus Studio website and via eBay, of the sender and security of the contents. The seal die would be specific
Etsy, and Society6 (and previously to the sender and if broken or removed, could not be duplicated by
through Bethany Lowe). After 20 years, another individual.
it is also possible to find resales of Rucus Seals remained popular and necessary into the 1830s when envelopes with
Studio creations through eBay and glue were introduced. The item we are looking at would appear to be from
other holiday decoration purveyors. sometime after the 1830s due to the frivolity of the seals and lack of specific
Characters created are primarily individual identification associated with them. The extensive literature on
focused on Halloween and Christmas. seals is silent on seals with interchangeable plates in sets. While I do find
As stated in the listing, this item was examples of similar seal sets with interchangeable dies, most have been sold
being sold new directly from through eBay since 2014 (one or two a year) and almost all with variations of
Rucus/Scott Smith and is indicated as the description here with certain key words being repeated, leading me to
a non-production one-of-a-kind item. suspect that they may be from the same source. This is the most expensive
Worthpoint reports that since 2019, example reported. Others found sold in the range of $900-$2,400.
original Rucus items regularly sell for
$2,000 and up with prices steadily
climbing. Our focus item is the highest price yet reported from eBay for $1,925 (41 bids, 12 bidders): Early 20th c. Western Navajo Wool Rug.
one of these works. Other recent sales include: Gentleman Vulture Measures 36.5 inches by 50 inches. This antique Western Navajo wool rug is
Halloween figure and a Crazy Quilt Santa figure, each selling for $4,550; finely hand-woven with natural colors. The red, white, gray, and dark brown
a Sunflower Art Doll (for Ukraine) selling for $4,650; and two figures colors are all strong with no bleeding or fading, and as you can see, this
of Witches for $5,890 and $5,532. Quality, originality with name antique rug has lazy stitches. This is finely woven with a unique design with
recognition, and theme are all price drivers here – and prices are escalating arrows in the center of two large diamonds. This rug is very soft and in clean
for new, original works by this artist/company. As we have seen in previous condition with no odors, and only minor wear to the edges and tassels.
articles, Halloween collectibles are hot and remain so. Overall, this circa 1920-30s Western Navajo rug is in good condition.
(Photos courtesy of eBay seller wwolst12.)

$8,539 (45 bids, 13 bidders): Antique French Gilt Enamel Birds, Multi- PH: This is an example of a Navajo Storm design rug. It is likely that the
Motto Seal, Sceau Palais Royal Box.This is for an exceptionally rare and design was derived under the influence of J. B. Moore who owned the trading
totally complete French gilt bronze wax seal set with 50 different matrices post at Crystal, N.M., from 1897 until 1911. One of his most influential
dating to the 1820s-1830s. It is by far and away the nicest thing I have had contributions to Navajo weaving was the introduction of Oriental-based
for sale this year. I have never seen one of these complete before, never mind designs. The Navajo filtered this information through their cultural
boxed and with enamel birds on all sides of the seals’ handle like this. background and preferences selecting specific designs.
It dates to the Bourbon Restoration Era of Louis XVIII and Charles X Traditionally, in the center of the rug is a rectangle representing the center
and would have almost certainly been purchased from the Palais Royal in of the universe. In the corners, four rectangles representing the four winds or
Paris. The top of the handle pulls out to reveal a sliding drawer filled with 25 four sacred mountains of the Navajo world. Lightning lines usually connect
double-sided, changeable matrices or wax seals; there are 50 different ones, these corners with the center, but in this case, they frame the center rectangle.
some I have never seen before. They include birds, horses, beehives, snails, Original storm rugs were usually woven red, black, and white on a natural
boats, hot air balloons, flowers, quill pens, dogs, pocket watches, bears, lions, gray or red background. Representations of clouds, water beetles, arrows,
elephants, etc., etc., all with simple mottos in French. feathers, and geometric designs are typical in Storm designs, but specific rug
The whole piece is in absolutely excellent condition with no damage to it designs are entirely the vision and interpretation of the individual weaver.
anywhere. The fact that it has remained in its original display box means Storm rugs originated in the western part of the Navajo Reservation. This
everything inside has been preserved perfectly. This is, I would say, one of

8 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles