Old Glory has proven to be a long-popular image in antique American folk art. Far before Jasper Johns's iconic 'Flag' painting made headlines in May, when one version fetched $28.6 million at a Christie's auction, the American flag in actual or stylized form has consistently been collectible in quilts, rugs, textiles, carvings, and paintings.

Historical significance, a bold aesthetic, and patriotic sentiment play into the lasting appeal of the stars and stripes motif.

Made to cover beds and floors, many of these early flag-centric art forms, sometimes created from recycled materials such as cigar flannels and parade flags, had a practical use as well as an artistic aspect.

Early examples, dating from the late-18th century through mid-20th century, are always a marketplace discovery that commands excitement, yet they remain a good value, according to New York City dealer Laura Fisher. She notes that antique flag-inspired pieces can be acquired for a fraction of the price of Johns's pop art rendition.

For one, Fisher has a graphic and historic quilt, originating from the late-19th/early-20th century, comprised of eighty-four American flag cigar 'flannels' or 'blankets,' a re-used protective material from cedar cigar boxes. The repeated pattern of the same flag conveys a unique 'pop art' type of imagery. It's priced at $2,750.

Quilt makers, needle workers, carvers, and artisans have long depicted the American flag despite legal prohibitions against portraying it literally.

Antique forms have rendered the flag with varying numbers of stars, typically to commemorate the admission of a new state to the Union. Some pieces were created for an event such as a social cause or a war. Stylized versions using stars and stripes, or employing a palette of red, white and blue, convey the folk artist's patriotism.

Intriguing examples of the flag in folk art are available through September at Laura Fisher's FISHER HERITAGE, 305 East 61st Street (east of Second Avenue) in New York City. Tel: 212.838.2596.