Images(4)

American Indian Figure

Dateca. 1960

Artist Ernest ("Popeye") Reed (1919-1985)

OriginAmerica, Ohio, Jackson County

MediumSandstone

DimensionsOverall: 22 5/8 × 13 × 7 1/2in. (57.5 × 33 × 19.1cm)

Credit LineGift of Judy and Ray McCaskey

Object number2024.907.1

DescriptionSandstone carving of a seated male figure. He is wearing a arrowhead necklace and a headband across his forehead that binds his chin-length hair. Both of his hands rest atop his knees.
Label TextErnest Reed, more commonly known as "Popeye," was an Irish and Native American carver from southern Ohio. A self-taught artist, he began carving wood as a young child. Much of Reed’s work was inspired by mythological traditions and the natural world. He had a particular interest in Greek and Egyptian statuary.
ProvenanceDates unknown, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois American Folk Art Collection (Chicago, IL); Dates ?-2024, Raymond and Judith McCaskey (Chicago, IL); 2024-present, given to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, Virginia).