Saturday, July 17, 2010
RANDOM 341
ANTIQUE German PLAQUE Oxen, Woman Nursing Signed WEISSE-$102
Years and years ago, I had a pair of similar plaques in elaborate Art Nouveau frames. I believe at the time I determined them to be spelter with a deep bronze surface. I think that’s what this signed plaque is as well. It’s heavy, weighing over 9 ½ lbs. ( 4.37 kg )
It measures 15 3/8” by 12 ½” and has a total maximum depth (the oxen) of approximately 3”. The only damage I find is a chipped off corner measuring about 3/4”. I think it would be fantastic on a table easel.
quite a complex piece of casting. If you’re looking for a tiny little, lightweight knick-knack, this probably isn’t for you.
The signature is at the bottom left. The last name is Weisse. There was a most well known “Henry Weisse” sculptor whose works from 19th Century Germany bring big bucks at auction. I don’t know if this is him or not, but the work I’ve found is dead on similar. I wish the first name was more easily deciphered.
On the right of this farm scene, a woman nurses her nekked as a jaybird baby in the shade of a big tree as her husband, I suppose, looks on. I man is plowing a field with a team of oxen. The farm home is in the background.
It is a truly wonderful casting and composition. The oxen are just about to step out of the plaque into your living room.
Only when you look at the back do you understand what a complex casting it is. It is obvious several steps were involved.
The surface is a rich, deep bronze with a luxurious patina.
RANDOM 341 OBJECT
Vintage OIL PAINTING by INDIANA Artist CHARLES UNTULIS-$402
Charles Untulis was from the East Chicago / Hammond area of Indiana, up in Lake County. He died in 1971, and since then his works have been actively sought and eagerly collected. He is, of course, a listed artist.
I wonder . . . might this be a rainy day on Calumet Avenue?
The fascinating technique allows us to spot identifiable objects through the rain and the light coming from open shops along the avenue. One is that car parked at the curb. To me, it looks like a 1940s or early 1950s model.
I wonder if Mr. Untulis ever visited Paris. Doesn’t it remind you of a French painting of that period? It doesn’t look like Hammond to me, but I better ask my dear spouse (She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed). She grew up there. Maybe she’ll recognize something.
Friday, July 16, 2010
RANDOM 341 OBJECT
Handmade FOLK ART POTTERY Lidded Figural PIG BOX Signed-$78
He’s big, and he’s quite heavy, but most of all he’s down right hilarious. And after all, isn’t that at least part of what folk art is all about?
Plus: He’s signed, but we’ll get into that in a jiffy.
He measures 9” long, 7” tall, and about 5 ¼” at the fat belly. And he’s no lightweight piece of stoneware, tipping the scales at just over 3 ¼ lbs.
I know one thing for sure; he is unique. There isn’t another like him. He was painstakingly pinched together and formed by a talented potter, that’s for sure. But now comes the confusing part, and it is also the ultimate question.
The signature is on the bottom, scribed into the wet clay.
My best guess is “Germany,” but as far as potter’s signatures go, they seem to try their dangedest to conceal their identities. Maybe it’s the name of a studio potter. I just can’t tell for sure. Maybe you can. If so, chime in.
Sorry about the glare on his snout. He is a combination of wonderful browns – from nutty to almost black. Delightful.
And there’s a surprise! The interior is a deep blue/green lustrous glaze. This pig’ll hold water.
Coming or going, he’s lots of fun, and you’ll be thrilled.
