1956
American, probably New England/Maine
Carved and stained wood
14¾” H × 9” W × 3” D
Signed and dated on reverse “C. M. Ela / 1956”
A wonderfully expressive and unusually bold American folk art portrait bust by the documented regional carver C. M. Ela, signed and dated 1956.
Carved from a substantial three-inch-thick section of wood, the nearly fifteen-inch portrait is dominated by an extraordinary elongated projecting nose, enormous almond-shaped eyes with dark pupils, deeply modeled cheeks, sweeping brows, incised forehead wrinkles and a wonderfully crooked, tight-lipped mouth. The vigorously gouged hair contrasts beautifully with the smoother facial planes, while the deeply relieved jaw and simplified shoulders give the carving an almost totemic sculptural presence.
The reverse remains largely unfinished, retaining abundant tool marks and the important handwritten “C. M. Ela / 1956” inscription.
Ela’s work has appeared at Maine auction, including signed and dated carvings from the 1960s and 1970s, establishing him as an identifiable regional folk carver with auction history. The present 1956 portrait predates the other dated Ela examples presently located in our research and is especially noteworthy for its rare human subject and ambitious scale.
A powerful piece of mid-century American vernacular sculpture possessing tremendous character, individuality and folk-art appeal.
Condition: Appealing aged surface with scattered wear, abrasions, old checking and minor losses; rough carving and tool marks particularly evident to the hair, sides and reverse. Overall very good folk-art condition with a wonderfully untouched appearance.