UF6 Tobacco Silks Folk Art, mounted
c.1915
22 x 22, mounted (55.9 x 55.9 cm)
$395

A unique Folk Art piece comprised of silk tobacco premiums appliqued onto black silk with silk embellishment stitching. American tobacco companies produced a wealth of tobacco premiums that were included free with tobacco products. The advertising scheme encouraged collecting and creating household decorative items out of the premiums and was specifically targeted not to the users of the tobacco but to their wives, daughters, mothers, etc. They became extremely popular for collecting from 1910 to 1916.

This particular piece consists of a center silk Scottish Flag measuring 5½ x 6¾ surrounded by additional Country Flags, and Native American silks either 1¾ x 2¾ or 2⅜ x 4 in size. Mounted on a wooden frame wrapped in a wool plaid. A wonderful folk art piece ready for hanging.