This vintage figure/character is an artist’s interpretation of an American Civil War General of Cavalry Officer.
The "US” on the hat front, the closely cropped beard, and ranking of general and the cigar all suggest that this might be meant to mimic General US Grant. However, this character has a cavalry yellow strip on his pants, and appears to have the rank of Major General.
The rank of Major General is attributable via the double row of 9 buttons, grouped in 3s on the jacket front. The total character is well done and nearly completely copy’s what an actual soldier’s uniform, equipment and weapons would appear. However, the shoulder straps appear to show four raised-stars on each strap, in two groups of two, but the true Major General straps just had two single stars.
The character is constructed from paper, string, tacks etc. Until you stand back and study the construction, a lot of these details don’t jump out. The string forms the coat edge and sash area, tacks are used for the buttons, wire used for the sword and spurs.
There is minor flaking of the paint on the underside of the hat brim. It appears that at one time a map was likely held in the soldier’s right hand, except for a small amount still held in the hand the majority of it is missing. There is a small amount of damage shown to the officer’s coat front edge and a small chip on the holster flap edge. None of these damage spots take away from the overall appeal and look of the item, but are mentioned for accurracy.
The base is about 1 inch tall being about 4 ¾ inches square. The total figure, including the base, totals about 13-13 ½ inches tall.
This item is extremely fragile so I would hate to have to ship it out. I will be attending the Baltimore Antique Arms Show in Maryland in March and can make arrangements for a mid-coast delivery of some sort.
This is a very folksy craft-like character that has a ton of charm and vintage age. The actual age is unknown, but I would estimate at least 40-50+ years old. Take a look and enjoy.
