Once again I have purchased a lovely bronze that is a virtual mystery in regards to the creator, title and any specifics about the work. I found it on one of the many online auction sites and even after some spirited bidding I managed to win it for a price I could afford. The shipping cost nearly doubled the high bid, and when it arrived here today I understood why. It's much larger than I had expected (yay!).
Depicted is a seated Native American Indian man. He has shoulder length hair that is held back with a headband and is wearing a loincloth and high moccasin boots with wide cuffs and pointed toes. In his lap is an empty quiver. He is holding a single arrow in his hands and is sighting along the shaft, likely checking it for straightness. Given his dress, I'd guess the setting would be the Southwest as his boots and headband are very reminiscent of Apache dress from a century and a half ago or so. He sits on a flat, roughly circular base (the ground?) that has crosshatched scratches across the surface. I don't think I've ever seen the like. The bronze sits on a custom made wood base that has a lazy Susan beneath. The bronze is beautifully rendered. Clearly the artist was a talented expert.
This is where the mystery deepens. The only marks on the work are the edition numbers 6/25, date "96" and a sole artist's sigil of a "Rockin' R." The most famous artist I can think of with ties to the "Rockin' R" is Will James, but this piece was made well after he died. More recently the late Texas artist Ronald Hardy Cummins (1934-2015) of Longview used this mark on pieces that he cast in his own home foundry, on his own works and on pieces he cast for other local artists in Texas. His son told me that he doesn't remember this one specifically but is certain his father didn't sculpt it and is reasonably certain he didn't cast it for someone else, though he hedged on being certain. My assumption is that the artist was local to the buyer from whose estate I purchased this bronze in Plano, Cummins in Longview and Jack Bryant's studio and foundry in Azle. So far my best guess is that this was sculpted by an artist named Wes Woodall who likely lived in the same area, though this is only wild conjecture at this point. I have found nothing yet about either that artist or his works save one bronze that came up for auction awhile back, which has some comparable features to this bronze. Another possible artist whose work bears striking similarities is Lois Montoya Rumohr (1922-2012), though she was located in Albuquerque and left behind only a few scattered records of her works. I'm shooting fish in a barrel in the dark, here.
My only hope lies in the inked stamp on the underside of the base. This stamp says, "Bryant Fine Art, Azle, Texas." I have reached out to the Bryant foundry and gallery which is still in business. I'm hoping someone there can help me!
I'll update this page when I learn more and take better pictures.
HELP! Or, if you don't know either, ENJOY!
