Coming in at 2 feet 11 inches high and missing four fingers, it is a sculpture of young Susan Ames, who was two during the 1849 carving session. It is only the twelfth work by her uncle, Asa Ames, known to exist. How it came to be hidden in the museum’s cellar has to do with western migration and total chance.

Starting in New York, Asa chiseled from 1847 to 1851, then died at 27 of tuberculosis. Susan, her statue in tow, later moved to Illinois, became Susan Hogue, and then headed to Texas. Her son, Arch, flew the coop in 1919 and landed in Boulder, passing on in 1958. His wife, Laura, cleaned out her house in 1963 and gave the sculpture of her mother-in-law to the museum. Museum volunteers labeled the very hefty artwork a “doll” and forgot about it until the mannequin hunt last April.

Enter museum board member and modest Americana collector, Michael Smith, who just happened to stop by and see it standing on a table. He recalls, “She was extremely impressive, and my mind immediately began to churn. Her face in particular, and the tight carving, suggested to me that I might know the artist.” Rushing home, he found an old antiques magazine that highlighted Ames’ work and saw the Ames signature, pictured in the article, matched the sculpture’s inscription. A year’s worth of research to further authenticate it and track its path to Boulder ensued.

Stacy Hollander, senior curator at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, says, “It’s a gorgeous and important piece. I hate to be hyperbolic, but it is an important discovery in this field. For me, it’s comparable to finding a lost renaissance sculpture or painting. In the museum world, this will cause enormous excitement.”

As for the Boulder History Museum staff, they hope it will also cause some local excitement and foot traffic.