Westward Ho Chalk Cowboys

PAIR OF VINTAGE HAND-PAINTED CHALKWARE WESTERN CARICATURE FIGURINES - "WESTWARD HO!" BRONC RIDER AND GUITAR-PLAYING COWBOY Two vintage cast plaster chalkware western caricature figures, hand-painted in a bright folk palette and clearly meant as a companion pair. The first is a bearded, big-hatted cowboy riding a wild-eyed, bucking horse with head down and mane flying, the rider grinning under a floppy oversized hat with a rolled blue bedroll and gear behind the saddle, mounted on a green rectangular groundwork base hand-lettered on the front "WesTward Ho!" in dark script. The second is a standing cowboy caricature in a broad sombrero-style hat, red bandanna and green-striped shirt front, dark trousers and tall tan boots, strumming a small guitar, on a shaped green rock base. Both are the exaggerated big-hat, big-grin western souvenir style popular from roughly the 1950s through the 1970s, the kind of piece sold at western resorts, trading posts, and dude ranches, and both were finished by hand so the brushwork varies. Neither piece carries a maker's mark; the standing figure's hollow base has only faint illegible pencil scribbling, so no maker is claimed. Both show honest age wear, and the standing cowboy has a visible hairline break line across the hat brim with light filler or adhesive residue showing, suggesting an old repair. They display well together on a shelf, mantel, bunkhouse bar, or in a western and cowboy collectible grouping. Sold as a lot of two figurines. Description One chalkware bronc-rider figure on a green rectangular base hand-lettered "WesTward Ho!", the horse bucking with its head lowered and the rider seated with a bedroll behind the cantle. One chalkware standing cowboy caricature playing a guitar, wide-brimmed hat, red bandanna, on a shaped green groundwork base. Cast plaster (chalkware), hand-painted and lightly sealed, hollow underneath on both pieces. The rider measures approximately 9 inches tall to the top of the hat per the tape-measure photograph, with a base roughly 4-1/2 inches long. The tape is stood on the table beside the piece rather than hooked to it, and the hook plate rests on the tabletop, so the height is a close estimate only. The standing cowboy measures approximately 8-1/2 inches tall to the top of the hat, with a base roughly 3-1/2 to 3-3/4 inches across. In the height photograph the tape hangs from above rather than being hooked on the figure, and in the base-width photograph the hook rests on the table beside the base, so both figures are close estimates. Bidders should verify all dimensions from the photographs. No maker mark, foundry stamp, copyright, or country-of-origin mark is visible on either piece. The underside of the standing figure's base shows faint hand-drawn pencil marks that are too indistinct to read, and no meaning is claimed for them. Attribution note Chalkware of this type is gypsum plaster cast in molds, hand-painted, and finished with a light surface coating rather than a fired ceramic glaze. Hand-painted western caricature figures like these were produced in large numbers as mid-century souvenir and gift-shop decor, often unmarked or marked only with a paper label that has since been lost, which makes firm attribution to a single studio difficult without a mark. The lettered "WesTward Ho!" on the base of the rider appears to be applied by hand as part of the original decoration. Identification, era, and material here are offered as the consignor's photo-based opinion and are not guaranteed. Bid on the items as pictured. Condition Used vintage condition, sold as-is. The standing cowboy shows a hairline crack running across the underside and top of the hat brim with whitish filler or adhesive residue visible along the line, consistent with an older repair or a stabilized casting flaw. Both pieces show paint chipping and flaking along the base edges, with bare white plaster exposed in several spots, heaviest on the standing figure's green base and along the boot and trouser edges. Scattered small paint rubs, nicks, and losses are present on the hats, shoulders, and high points of both figures. Both hat surfaces carry dark speckling and general grime from age and display. The undersides are soiled, with dirt, dark discoloration, and areas of paint and surface loss, and the rider's underside shows substantial exposed plaster. No breaks to limbs, horse legs, guitar, or base corners are apparent in the photographs, but chalkware is soft and easily chipped and no guarantee against unseen restoration is made. Photos are part of the description. Notes for bidders Chalkware is water-soluble plaster under a thin painted surface. Do not wash, wet-wipe, or immerse these pieces; dust only with a soft dry brush. Keep them out of humid areas and direct sun, which fades the paint and softens the body. Handle by the base, never by the hat brim, guitar, or the horse's head and legs. Pack with generous soft padding and support around the thin p