Bronze Hound's Art Collection: "Indian Scout With Canoe" Franz Bergmann Vienna Bronze, Probably By Carl Kauba

This is one of my most recent purchases. It's a bronze Indian Scout and Canoe by the Franz Bergmann (often mistakenly spelled "Bergman") foundry in Vienna, Austria. It is about a hundred years old! These Vienna bronzes are pretty rare. They came in so many varieties that not many of any one style were made. I've seen the canoe used in at least three different bronzes, and the Indian (usually holding a rifle, pipe, spear or tomahawk instead of a paddle) in at least four or five more. These bronzes were made from many different models which were individually cast and soldered together in a different way for each specific run of sculptures. I've only ever seen three others of this particular one, however, and one was cast from white metal instead of bronze. I believe the Indian may have been sculpted by the famous Carl Kauba, as I've seen his name inscribed on this very Indian when it was a part of a different sculpture.

My statue was once cold-painted in vivid colors, just like the typical Vienna bronzes are still made, but it appears that some time in antiquity someone decided that it would look better gilded. That gold paint has mostly worn off by this point, leaving the original paint peeking through, as well as a few spots of bronze. I was told this came out of a hoarder's house in New York, and that it had sat high on a bookshelf for over half a century. At some point this bronze had a fall - the Indian's left leg and paddle are bent, as is the upper edge of the canoe where they are brazed together.

Both the Indian and the canoe are signed with the Bergmann "B" inside a shield and the number 3605 (the model, pattern and/or catalog number of the sculpture). The Indian has "GESCHUTZT" (German for "protected", shorthand for copyrighted) stamped down the side of his left buttock and the Bergmann foundry mark and 3605 on the back of his left leg just below his buttock. Where I have seen the Kauba signature on the back of the leg of identical Indians that are part of different overall scenes is where this one is soldered to the canoe. The canoe has the foundry mark and pattern number on both sides of the underside, just above the seam.

The last few pictures were taken through my Luxo magnifier. The fluorescent light tends to throw the color balance off, but I really wanted good close ups of the hallmarks.

I may have it repaired in the near future. The damage isn't severe, and I think it would be well worth the expense to have it fixed correctly. I don't have much into it...

I have recently purchased a white metal copy of this bronze. It does not have hallmarks or signatures but it was probably also produced by the Bergmann foundry. It is in near pristine condition, even the paint is nearly perfect. I'll post pictures of it soon.