Bronze Hound's Art Collection: Fakes Were Made Back In The Day, Too!

Sometimes, even I can be fooled. Especially when the object in question was created expressly to fool someone into thinking it's something that it is not. This next statue is a perfect example.

This Indian holding a lasso over his head may look like a Vienna bronze, but in reality it's made from cold-painted spelter. A spot of missing paint on the back of the upraised arm gives the game away. I'm not even sure if the base is actually marble or tinted plaster with painted-on veins! There is a label on the bottom with the date 1927 on it - I don't know how accurate that is, but given the patina I wouldn't be surprised if that was correct. I believe it was made as a less expensive alternative to Vienna bronzes. After all, in the 1920's, what self-respecting home parlour or man's desk would be complete without a figurine or small statue or two? Well, if your budget was similar to mine, then this unsigned and non-hallmarked piece might just fit the bill without breaking the wallet. Actually, I believe these inexpensive copies are actually rarer today than the Vienna bronzes they copied. I'm happy to have it in my collection, even if it's not terribly valuable. For being a cheapie, it's very well done, with nice detail and good proportions, especially given the size.

Edit: Once again, I may be wrong! This could very well have been cast by the very same foundry that would have also cast it from bronze, if such a piece was ever even made. In doing my research I have come across many white metal versions of pieces that I have seen made of bronze as well. The castings were just as crisp as the bronzes and signed as well, which leads me to believe that the white metal versions were perhaps merely sold as an alternative to the bronzes instead of being a pirated copy. So this piece is very probably a Vienna sculpture as well!