Willie Massey Paintings & Artwork for Sale | Willie Massey Art Value Price Guide

Dec. 09, 2023
WILLIE MASSEY (1906 - 1990)
Est: $400 - $800
14x16x17 wood assemblage and paint. From the collection of Anne Oliver.
Ledbetter Auctions
Nov. 08, 2023
Willie Massey (1906-1990) Miniature Chair
Est: $250 - $500
Willie Massey (America/Kentucky, 1906-1990) Miniature Folk Art Chair, Carved and Painted Wood with Buttons, signed. Size: 9'' x 7'' x 7.5'' (23 x 18 x 19 cm).
Material Culture
Apr. 03, 2023
Willie Massey (American, 1906-1990)
Est: $300 - $600
Willie Massey (American, 1906-1990) Untitled (Dove on a Branch), painting on paper, tear. Unsigned, unframed. Size: 11.25'' x 15.75'', 29 x 40 cm.
Material Culture
Apr. 03, 2023
Willie Massey (American, 1906-1990)
Est: $300 - $500
Willie Massey (American, 1906-1990) Fish Airplane, 1988, painted wood and aluminum. Size: 19.5'' x 13.75'' x 16.5'' (50 x 35 x 42 cm).
Material Culture
Oct. 11, 2022
Willie Massey, Chair
Est: $200 - $300
Willie Massey Chair c. 1980 painted wood 10.75 h × 5.5 w × 7 d in (27 × 14 × 18 cm) This work will ship from Toomey & Co. in Chicago, Illinois.
Toomey & Co. Auctioneers
Oct. 08, 2022
WILLIE MASSEY FOLK ART CHAIR
Est: $400 - $600
miniature chair by African American Willie Massey, no apparent losses, paint and carved/cut wood. 14"H
Ledbetter Auctions
Oct. 08, 2022
WILLIE MASSEY FOLK ART CHAIR
Est: $400 - $600
miniature chair by African American Willie Massey, one loss to front left side post. Paint and cut/carved wood. 7.5"H
Ledbetter Auctions
Apr. 14, 2022
Willie Massey Birdhouse & Tinfoil Birds (ca. 1980s)
Est: $1,100 - $1,650
Willie Massey (American, 1906-1990). Birdhouse (mixed media), ca. 1980s. A wonderful red, white, and blue painted wooden birdhouse by Willie Massey, a Kentucky-born, self-taught African-American artist known for his carvings, paintings, and assemblages. This whimsical, multi-level birdhouse is made of wood from old fruit crates that Massey collected. Wingless birds modeled from aluminum foil and painted red and blue 'live' with the piece - the blue one perched atop the roof, the red one clinging to a tree branch that Massey painted white. A wonderful example of American folk art! Size of house itself: 10.125" L x 12.125" W x 19" H (25.7 cm x 30.8 cm x 48.3 cm) Size w/ branch: 12.7" L x 15" W x 27" H (32.3 cm x 38.1 cm x 68.6 cm) During the 70 years he worked as a tenant farmer, Willie Massey made utilitarian objects to meet practical needs and simultaneously satisfy his creative spirit. Interestingly, he only began creating sculptures and paintings after his wife's death in 1955. Massey created his sculptures - which he called "tricks" - from repurposed materials. These works included renderings of birds and animals, farm equipment, airplanes, and birdhouses like this example. He is best known for his birdhouses, his wingless birds made from tin foil and painted with enamel, as well as his airplanes. Massey's art has been exhibited in "African-American Folk Art in Kentucky" (Kentucky Folk Art Center, 2000), "Passionate Visions of the American South: Self-Taught Artists from 1940 to the Present" (New Orleans Museum of Art and traveled to Berkeley, San Diego, Washington D.C., and Raleigh, 1993-1995), and other important museum exhibitions. In addition, his art resides in the permanent collections of numerous museums, including the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Morris Museum of Art, and the Kentucky Folk Art Center. Provenance: J Compton Gallery, Wimberley, Texas, USA All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm. Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping. #169897
Artemis Gallery
Mar. 19, 2022
WILLIE MASSEY (1906 - 1990)
Est: $300 - $600
Willie Massey painted chair. Signed in pencil. Height 14"
Ledbetter Auctions
Feb. 24, 2022
Willie Massey Birdhouse & Tinfoil Birds (ca. 1980s)
Est: $1,200 - $1,800
Willie Massey (American, 1906-1990). Birdhouse (mixed media), ca. 1980s. A wonderful red, white, and blue painted wooden birdhouse by Willie Massey, a Kentucky-born, self-taught African-American artist known for his carvings, paintings, and assemblages. This whimsical, multi-level birdhouse is made of wood from old fruit crates that Massey collected. Wingless birds modeled from aluminum foil and painted red and blue 'live' with the piece - the blue one perched atop the roof, the red one clinging to a tree branch that Massey painted white. A wonderful example of American folk art! Size of house itself: 10.125" L x 12.125" W x 19" H (25.7 cm x 30.8 cm x 48.3 cm) Size w/ branch: 12.7" L x 15" W x 27" H (32.3 cm x 38.1 cm x 68.6 cm) During the 70 years he worked as a tenant farmer, Willie Massey made utilitarian objects to meet practical needs and simultaneously satisfy his creative spirit. Interestingly, he only began creating sculptures and paintings after his wife's death in 1955. Massey created his sculptures - which he called "tricks" - from repurposed materials. These works included renderings of birds and animals, farm equipment, airplanes, and birdhouses like this example. He is best known for his birdhouses, his wingless birds made from tin foil and painted with enamel, as well as his airplanes. Massey's art has been exhibited in "African-American Folk Art in Kentucky" (Kentucky Folk Art Center, 2000), "Passionate Visions of the American South: Self-Taught Artists from 1940 to the Present" (New Orleans Museum of Art and traveled to Berkeley, San Diego, Washington D.C., and Raleigh, 1993-1995), and other important museum exhibitions. In addition, his art resides in the permanent collections of numerous museums, including the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Morris Museum of Art, and the Kentucky Folk Art Center. Provenance: J Compton Gallery, Wimberley, Texas, USA All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm. Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping. #169897
Artemis Gallery
Apr. 22, 2021
WILLIE MASSEY (1906 - 1990) Untitled (Airplane).
Est: $1,000 - $1,500
WILLIE MASSEY (1906 - 1990) Untitled (Airplane). Mixed media assemblage, 1986. Appproximately 660 mm; 26 inches high. Signed in paint on the underside of the plane. Signed, dated and inscribed "Bowling Green, KY" in pencil on the underside of the base. Provenance: the Ness Oleson Trust. The late Frannie Ness and Gary Oleson were the proprietors of Waiting for Godot Books of Hadley, MA, which specialized in rare American and English books, including African American literature. During the 70 years he worked as a tenant farmer, Willie Massey learned to make things to meet practical needs and to satisfy his creative energy. He began creating sculptures and paintings after his wife's death in 1955. He is well known for his colorful multilevel birdhouses made from old fruitcrates, his tinfoil birds and his airplanes. He died in 1990 as a result of burns suffered in a house fire. His art was included in the exhibitions African-American Folk Art in Kentucky, Passionate Visions of the American South, and others. His work is in many permanent collections, including the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Morris Museum of Art and the Kentucky Folk Art Center. Bio courtesy of the Gordon Gallery..
Swann Auction Galleries
Sep. 12, 2018
Willie Massey (attributed to) (2pcs)
Est: $100 - $200
Willie Massey (attributed to) (Kentucky, 1906-1990) PAIR CRITTERS painted nutshell and foil, unsigned H1 1/4" L5" W2 1/2" (2pcs) Provenance: Columbus Museum, Columbus, Georgia, sold to benefit the acquisitions fund (2002.36.7 and 8))
Charlton Hall
Apr. 29, 2017
Willie Massey. Polka Dot Roosters.
Est: $500 - $800
Willie Massey. Two Black And White Polka Dot Roosters.Not signed. Paint and pencil on paper board. Excellent condition. Image is 15"w x 11"h. Frame is 23"w x 19"h. Est. $500-800. Ship: $45
Slotin Folk Art Auction
Jun. 12, 2016
5 Carvings: 3 Carl McKenzie, 2 Willie Massey
Est: $300 - $500
5 Carved Wood Sculptures, including 3 sculptures by Carl McKenzie (American/Kentucky, 1905-1998): "Sarah The Topless Waitress", 1992, along with 2 "Animals", each carved and painted wood, signed by the artist; and 2 Willie Massey (American/Kentucky, 1906-1990) sculptures, each carved and painted wood, the "Eagle" by Massey is shown in the catalogue "Diving in the Spirit"; both Massey sculptures came from the Howards Smith Collection. Largest Size: 17" x 4" x 5" (43 x 10 x 13 cm). Provenance: Robert Cargo, Alabama.
Material Culture
Jun. 12, 2016
Willie Massey (1906-1990) Horse
Est: $200 - $300
Willie Massey (American/Kentucky, 1906-1990) Untitled (Horse), mixed media painting on cardboard, signed. Size: 11.25" x 19.75", 29 x 50 cm (object); 13.75" x 22.25", 35 x 57 cm (frame). Provenance: American Primitive, NY (label on verso); Robert Cargo, Alabama.
Material Culture
Jun. 12, 2016
Willie Massey (1906-1990) Eagle
Est: $200 - $300
Willie Massey (American/Kentucky, 1906-1990) Untitled (Eagle), mixed media painting on cardboard. Size: 10" x 20", 25 x 51 cm (object); 12.5" x 22.5", 32 x 57 cm (frame). Provenance: American Primitive, NY (label on verso); Robert Cargo, Alabama.
Material Culture