{"product_id":"a-rare-19th-century-english-folk-art-wesley-bone-a-horse-vertebra-painted-as-john-wesley-preaching","title":"A Rare Early 19th Century English Folk Art \"Wesley Bone\" — A Horse Vertebra Painted as John Wesley Preaching","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn exceptional and delightfully eccentric piece of English vernacular folk art: a natural horse vertebra transformed, with remarkable economy of means, into a portrait of John Wesley (1703–1791), founder of Methodism, preaching in his gown and bands.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese curious objects — known to collectors as \"Wesley Bones\" or occasionally \"the parson\" — exploit the serendipitous anatomy of the equine vertebra, whose winged processes suggest the sweeping folds of a preacher's black gown and upraised arms mid-sermon. To this armature, the unknown maker has added a painted head, the face rendered with naive charm: arched brows, a long straight nose, blue eyes, and rouged cheeks above vivid red lips, the bald pate a knowing nod to Wesley's familiar likeness in old age. At the throat, the white Geneva bands of the ordained minister are picked out in paint — the detail that confirms the identification and gives these objects their singular character.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWesley Bones are generally attributed to the nineteenth century, produced within communities where Methodism flourished, and were kept as chapel curiosities, mantelpiece conversation pieces, and affectionate — if gently irreverent — tributes to the great itinerant preacher. Survivors are genuinely scarce, and few retain their painted decoration as legibly as the present example.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe vertebra itself carries a deep treacle-black and umber painted surface, worn through in places to the honeyed bone beneath, producing a rich and entirely untouched patina. The whole is stable, tactile, and displays beautifully from every angle — as sculptural in the round as any deliberate carving.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA superb example of the English folk art instinct for finding the human in the found object, and a piece of Methodist material culture with real presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance: \u003c\/strong\u003eEngland. Early 19th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Horse vertebra with overpaint.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition: \u003c\/strong\u003eGood original condition commensurate with age. Painted surface with honest wear and losses revealing bone beneath, consistent throughout and adding considerably to the character. Structurally sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5 1\/2 in wide x 4 1\/2 in deep x 5 1\/2 high (14 cm x 14 cm x 11.5 cm)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Holt Antiques at Walsingham Mill ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54473960587606,"sku":"HAF7401","price":1150.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0782\/7462\/5878\/files\/rn-image_picker_lib_temp_df280de0-38b0-42bf-91cd-a19a9c2b7cc3.jpg?v=1783518073","url":"https:\/\/holtantiquefurniture.com\/products\/a-rare-19th-century-english-folk-art-wesley-bone-a-horse-vertebra-painted-as-john-wesley-preaching","provider":"Holt Antiques at Walsingham Mill ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}