Red and White Hand-painted Fire Exit Arrow Sign with Perfect Patina antique needlepoint a teacher and a student

a teacher and a student

The rectangular frames on each side hold small mirrors

with a long handle

Mid-19th century or so I'd think

It still looks great

Red and White Hand-painted Fire Exit Arrow Sign with Perfect Patina antique needlepoint a teacher and a studentIn my younger days I spent some time as an art critic, and I can't look at this terrific Fire Exit sign now without wanting to write about it in conceptual terms, though I'm pretty certain that was not its maker's intent! But whether or not fully aware, what they definitely managed to do was to create a very singular copy of a ubiquitous utilitarian sign a gorgeously painterly version that as such also (re)invests the language of the sign with new and