Last year marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln,
sixteenth President of the United States. I was well aware of this both
because he is my favorite President and because he and I share a
birthday - though mine, of course, came more than 170 years later.
Although I didn’t make it to a locale of Lincolnian significance for the
occasion, I celebrated by hosting a write-off on all things Lincoln. It
wasn’t until a month or two later that I discovered sculptor Jim
Shore’s tribute to Abraham Lincoln. Now, he’s on display with the rest
of my Lincoln memorabilia.
Jim Shore is an artist known for
creating sculptures that incorporate basic, traditional designs in
earthy tones, reminding me of an Amish quilt or a Lang folk art
calendar. We’ve mostly encountered his work at Hallmark, which is where I
first saw A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand. I’ve
admired many of his sculptures before, particularly those in his Disney
collection, but while I’ve given my mom a couple before, I’d never
purchased one for myself. But Abraham Lincoln was too perfect to resist.
And, like all of Shore’s sculptures, the price was pretty reasonable in
comparison with other collectibles, like Precious Moments and Charming
Tails. This particular sculpture retails for $45; I bought mine on sale
for $35.
This statue is made of stone resin that has been
crafted and painted to resemble wood. A base six and a half inches long,
four inches in width and an inch and a half high supports the
President. The bottom portion of the stand looks like a slanted wooden
platform, while the upper part is flat. The top of this portion is the
floor upon which Lincoln’s feet rest, and it is set in a pattern of
diamonds, alternating between shades of rusty red. Three sides of the
upper base feature curlicues of blue and green and what look like red
tulip blossoms. The front, meanwhile, has “Honest Abe” in red letters.
The outline of each design is carved, so that it’s textured rather than
flat.
The main attraction, of course, is Lincoln himself, who
sits in a chair with a mild smile on his face. From the floor to the top
of his head, it’s about seven inches. The chair, like the base, has a
definite folk art quality to it. It’s a brown wooden chair with a red
cushion, and flowery blue and purple designs augment the legs, while
yellow dots line the cushion. Lincoln sits in a relaxed position, his
legs bent at slightly different angles. His arms lie loosely on the arm
rests of the chair, with his fingers brushing the edges.
The
skin tone on his weathered hands and face is extremely lifelike, and his
black suit and matching shoes look dapper. He wears a grayish lavender
vest and a pale blue shirt, along with a black bowtie, and there are
gold buttons on his suit coat. One nifty feature is that he is evidently
carrying a pocket watch, and dangling across his shirt is a real, tiny
golden chain. His head, which is topped with brown hair and a features a
stately brown beard, is tilted to one side; thought lines crease his
face, and a small mole is visible. His pink lips are arranged into a
hint of a smile, and underneath his eyebrows, his half-open eyes seem to
crinkle.
Over the years, I’ve collected a few Lincoln-related
items, including a realistic talking action figure, a tiny cartoonish
figure, an old cologne bottle in the shape of his bust, a plaque in
which the words of the Gettysburg address are arranged to create a
portrait of his face, a set of Lincoln postage stamps and, no doubt the
strangest, a Lincoln head on a pole whose mouth clacks open and shut,
after the fashion of the shark toys often sold at amusement parks. Jim
Shore’s A House Divided is the jewel in the crown and a worthy addition to the shelf of any Lincoln enthusiast.
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