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Black Americana Items

Collectors appreciate black Americana items for the window that they provide into a historical epoch in the United States as well as for their innate artistic merits. Many black Americana items are considered controversial today, as they were made during a time of widespread intolerance and bigotry in the decades following the enslavement of African Americans.

Black Americana items nonetheless offer a fascinating perspective on the history of race relations in America. Items that depict cartoonish caricatures of black people with dramatically exaggerated features such as Aunt Jemima reveal the prevailing attitudes of the American public during a vastly different era. They also show how far the general population has come in terms of tolerance.

Black Americana items that were created by African Americans during or shortly subsequent to slavery are treasured for their idiosyncratic beauty and modern aesthetic. These include the quilts of Gee's Bend.


Quick Facts

  • The quilts from Gee's Bend on the Alabama River traveled to various fine art museums in 2014 including the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and the Philadelphia Museum of Art
  • Gee's Bend quilts look like abstract and geometric modern art paintings and routinely sell for tens of thousands of dollars when presented at auction
  • The esteemed contemporary artist Kara Walker reprises the aesthetic of black Americana caricature in her artworks, which often tender scathing political commentary on race relations

Recommended Items at Auction

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9 Inch Tall Black Americana Cast Iron WATERMELON Boy Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
9 Inch Tall Black Americana Cast Iron WATERMELON Boy Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$6013 Bids
Vintage Black Americana Cast Iron Jazz Man w/Cigar Still Coin Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Vintage Black Americana Cast Iron Jazz Man w/Cigar Still Coin Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$4511 Bids
Black Americana Cast Iron JOLLY NEGRO Mechanical Coin Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Black Americana Cast Iron JOLLY NEGRO Mechanical Coin Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$558 Bids
Black Americana Cast Iron WATERMELON BOY Coin Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Black Americana Cast Iron WATERMELON BOY Coin Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$357 Bids
SST Black Americana Paul Jones Whiskey Sign
Mar 01, 10:00 AM CST
SST Black Americana Paul Jones Whiskey Sign
by Kraft Auction Service
Est: $0- $0
$1106 Bids
Dated 1931 Black Americana Cast Iron Segregation Sign
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Dated 1931 Black Americana Cast Iron Segregation Sign
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$356 Bids
Dated 1939 Black Americana Cast Iron Mechanical Coin Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Dated 1939 Black Americana Cast Iron Mechanical Coin Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$356 Bids
Black Americana Cast Iron Working Mechanical Coin Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Black Americana Cast Iron Working Mechanical Coin Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$356 Bids
Dated 1896 Black Americana Cast Iron Working Mechanical Coin Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Dated 1896 Black Americana Cast Iron Working Mechanical Coin Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$456 Bids
Dated 1896 Black Americana Cast Iron JOLLY NEGRO Mechanical Coin Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Dated 1896 Black Americana Cast Iron JOLLY NEGRO Mechanical Coin Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$456 Bids
Signed Black Americana Cast Iron Mechanical Coin Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Signed Black Americana Cast Iron Mechanical Coin Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$306 Bids
Black Americana Property of Georgetown Police Wrist and Ankle Shackles
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Black Americana Property of Georgetown Police Wrist and Ankle Shackles
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$305 Bids
Black Americana Stump Speaker Cast Iron Mechanical Coin Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Black Americana Stump Speaker Cast Iron Mechanical Coin Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$355 Bids
Black Americana Cast Iron TAXI DRIVER Coin Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Black Americana Cast Iron TAXI DRIVER Coin Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$355 Bids
J.E. Stevens Black Americana Cast Iron Mechanical Coin Bank
Mar 01, 10:00 AM EST
J.E. Stevens Black Americana Cast Iron Mechanical Coin Bank
by Mebane Antique Auction
Est: $100- $10,000
$755 Bids
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Black Americana Luzianne Coffee Container and More
Feb 22, 9:00 AM CST
Black Americana Luzianne Coffee Container and More
by Matthew Bullock Auctioneers
Est: $30- $300
$204 Bids
Black Americana Cast Iron CHICKEN CATCHER Coin Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Black Americana Cast Iron CHICKEN CATCHER Coin Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$404 Bids
Black Americana Georgetown Plantation Police Wrist Shackles
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Black Americana Georgetown Plantation Police Wrist Shackles
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$184 Bids
Cast Iron Black Americana SMILING SAM Mechanical Coin Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Cast Iron Black Americana SMILING SAM Mechanical Coin Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$274 Bids
Black Americana Cast Iron JOLLY NEGRO Mechanical Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Black Americana Cast Iron JOLLY NEGRO Mechanical Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$244 Bids
Signed Black Americana Aunt Jemima Cast Iron Mechanical Coin Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Signed Black Americana Aunt Jemima Cast Iron Mechanical Coin Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$453 Bids
Vintage Black Americana Cast Iron The Porter Still Coin Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Vintage Black Americana Cast Iron The Porter Still Coin Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$353 Bids
Dated 1890 Black Americana Cast Iron Mechanical Coin Bank
Feb 28, 10:30 AM EST
Dated 1890 Black Americana Cast Iron Mechanical Coin Bank
by South Florida Auction & Estate Sale Services
Est: $6- $1,000
$153 Bids
Mosaic Tile Co. Mammy Porcelain Cookie Jar
Feb 23, 1:00 PM EST
Mosaic Tile Co. Mammy Porcelain Cookie Jar
by Block Auction House
Est: $200- $600
$1603 Bids

Sellers Who Sell Black Americana Items


Connoisseur Online

Connoisseur Online

Kraft Auction Service

Kraft Auction Service

Mebane Antique Auction

Mebane Antique Auction