Double-Sided Painted Wood — Circa 1930–1945
28¼” maximum extended length × approx. 6” W at hips × ¾” thick

A wonderfully eccentric and highly graphic American folk art whirligig depicting a lanky polka-dot circus clown with enormous articulated legs designed to revolve at the hips, sending him through an endless series of high kicks and acrobatic contortions in the wind.

Hand-cut from wood and fully painted on both sides, the clown is especially striking in bold vermilion red and black with oversized cream polka dots, mustard-yellow shoes, and wonderfully naïve facial features dominated by his bulbous cartoon nose.

The homespun mechanism consists of a projecting wooden hub, iron axle and large hexagonal nut at the hips, allowing the oversized legs to rotate freely. A mounting hole beneath the hands originally received a pole, now absent, positioning the figure upright and allowing him to be viewed from either direction.

The painted surface appears substantially original and untouched, retaining irregular hand-painted decoration, scattered abrasions, edge wear and the appealing patina of genuine outdoor use.

Probably made by an anonymous American craftsman during the 1930s or early 1940s, this unusually large example stands apart for its double-sided decoration, extraordinary polka-dot palette and animated revolving-leg action.

A terrific piece of American folk humor—part whirligig, part circus performer and part mechanical slapstick—with tremendous graphic presence even when the wind isn’t blowing.