Primitives: Time Worn, Simplistic and Very Collectible: Primitives are items that convey a more simplistic lifestyle and a time gone by. With warm and muted colors and natural distressed wear, each piece has a story to tell. The primitive piece may have represented a well used item or toy in someone's life that lived many years ago. Some primitives are just hand carved wood objects that serve no purpose other than as a novelty.
The great thing about collecting Primitives is that perfection is not required, unlike many other types of antiques. In fact, the less perfect the piece the better. You may find yourself drawn to pieces with more distress lines and character, the appeal of chipped paint, and surfaces worn smooth by years of use.
Dolls are another wonderful example of Primitives. You can imagine, back in the olden days, children cherished these less than perfect dolls which were made for them by their mothers or other relatives using whatever materials were available at the time. Today, many artists make reproduction Primitive Dolls. These dolls may not be authentic but they do capture the time-worn appearance that their authentic counterparts had.
The world of Primitives is very extensive. Some collectors enjoy collecting and displaying crockery, quilts, toys, wool rugs, hand made tools, and dolls. Other people collect Americana primitives, old kitchenware items, pails, baskets, butter molds, washboards and hand painted boxes and chests.
Creating reproduction Primitives is also fun. You can find that items from any time period can be made to look Primitive. For example, you could take a brand new dresser and transform it into a reproduction time-worn piece simply with a bit of paint and a sander, or paint and specialty finishes such as crackle.
Simple is the word when it comes to describing Primitives, second to "worn or distressed". Times were simple in the 1800-1900's and families worked hard and with what little they had. They were creative in making available materials into useful things and nothing was wasted.
As you continue on your journey of interest in Primitives you will find pieces of history that give you comfort and remind you that the simple things in life are the most important. Primitives warm your home, are restful to look at and most of all they provide a comfortable feeling.
