Mystery Maine Sculpture - Winslow Artist?

This is turning out to be the time for me to post up some of my mystery bronzes, those that have no titles, are not signed or dated, have no provenance to provide details or any combination of the above. This one hits on about every one of those. The information I have is very sketchy and minimal at best, so once again the call goes out to anyone who might recognize this sculpture to PLEASE DROP ME A NOTE!! I'd dearly love to have some information on this piece. It may well be unique, but SOMEONE made it and SOMEONE has seen it before. I've looked and looked but haven't had the slightest luck. I am pretty certain it's not a smaller copy of a monument, but that's almost all I can surmise.

I was home recovering between back surgeries when this lovely work came up for sale for a very reasonable price (read: I only skipped a few decent lunches). As I was mainly bedridden and my antique Jeep wasn't sucking its usual monthly pile of cash out of my wallet, I had a few bucks more than usual to spend. So I pulled the trigger and bought it, even knowing it was something of an enigma. I liked it (and still do).

The seller was an eBay shop in Massachusetts who sold on consignment. The only info they had been given was that it was created in Maine and that either the sculptor's last name was Winslow or was located in Winslow, Maine. It's possible the consignor was from Winslow, Maine too, which could blow the whole set of "facts" out of the water. I don't know and neither did they. I thought, 'Eh, I like it and the price is right, so why not?' It looks like there was once a brass plaque on the front, but that is long gone. There is nothing on the bronze itself to identify it, not a word, name, date, chop mark, nothing.

Today I finally got around to waxing it (the sculpture was already clean and in beautiful condition) and decided to take pictures and post it up in the hopes that I'll get some feedback on it.

Of course, any search for a Winslow Maine artist (even if one searches for sculptors and/or sculptures), one is inundated with Winslow Homer pages and references. Wading through those is grueling! My eyes go crossed. ;)

Depicted here is a muscular adult Indian man, most likely from one of the Northeastern Woodland tribes (Mohawk, Penobscot, Wampanoag, etc.) judging by both his hairstyle and clothing. He is standing straight up at the end of a boulder, his arms crossed across his chest, an upraised tomahawk in each fist. His head is shaved save for a top knot or brush - it's not a head roach, the tie strap holding his hair up is visible on close examination - and has two feathers hanging down the back. He's wearing low and simple moccasins and a plain loincloth. He's clearly a powerful warrior in the prime of life and in peak health. He's not showing any scars and is (ahem!) anatomically correct, as I found out while waxing him. Oh yes he is. LOL. He's fairly well sculpted save for his ears, which are not exactly the best. Otherwise, the level of detail is quite nice given the small size of the piece.

So here I present you with another mystery bronze. From the base of the boulder to the top of his hair, he's 6.5" tall. The hardwood base is 3/4" tall. It's not a huge bronze, but it's very nicely done. Enjoy!!

Edit: I have come to understand that this may have been sculpted by Texas artist Gene Deveny. I'll update this post as I find more info.

Bronze Woodland Indian, possibly from Maine, ???, front

Bronze Woodland Indian, possibly from Maine, ???, right

Bronze Woodland Indian, possibly from Maine, ???, right

Bronze Woodland Indian, possibly from Maine, ???, back

Bronze Woodland Indian, possibly from Maine, ???, face close up

Two Bronzes by J. H. Bond - Another Pair of Mysteries!

This post is a bit unusual in that I own not one but TWO bronze sculptures by an artist that not only have I never heard of, but apparently zero information exists on the web about either these or any other pieces by this artist or the artist as well. It's like they fell out of the sky and into my collection. If anyone out there knows anything about the sculptor J. H. Bond or the artist's works, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! I'm at a total loss.

So here's the story. I was surfing the most popular online auction site out there when I came across a bust of a Native American Indian man with a very low starting bid and (once again) a very minimalist description. In fact, the seller's list of "do's and dont's" and "I will's and I wont's" was far longer than the description of the piece itself! That one sentence description wound up buried in a slew of the seller's rules. I couldn't even read the artist's name in the pictures and the seller just had it listed as "Bond." I rolled the metaphorical dice and placed a not-so-high maximum bid and let it roll. Happily I won, and honestly for pretty close to the metal value of the bronze. Once it arrived home, I checked out the signature and began researching.

I hit a wall.

The only thing I could find was yet another piece by the same artist, for sale with a very low buy-it-now price. I figured that since I'm researching the one I own, I might as well own the second one too and feature the two of them in one post. The more, the merrier, eh? I actually wound up spending almost exactly the same amount for both pieces once shipping was added, and I mean it was down to a three dollar difference. Unfortunately neither seller could give me any information about either piece, so I began playing around with my research, getting more and more desperate to find ANYTHING - old auction records, past gallery listings, newspaper mentions, obituaries, ANYTHING. My search terms got pretty esoteric, let me tell you!

Again I hit a wall. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

The first sculpture is a bust of a proud warrior from the Plains - I believe it's Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce in his prime, but that's a shot in the dark guess - judging by his buffalo robe, bear claw necklace, hair style and the sun dance scars/wounds on his chest. The bronze is signed but not dated, titled or numbered, nor are there any foundry marks. It's very nicely sculpted and finished as well as being well cast (it's so heavy that I believe it's solid bronze or close to it), sitting on a nice cherry wood base. One would think that a piece this nice would have gained some notice SOMEWHERE.  AAARGH!!!!

The second piece is more of a plaque or paperweight, though it's of a size that it could also easily be made into a belt buckle. The scene depicted is a bit macabre. It is titled "Tree Burial" and depicts the wrapped and tied bier of a Plains Indian warrior placed high between two tree branches, his shield hanging above his head and what looks to be a vulture or large raptor perched with wings spread, standing on his legs. It is also signed "J. H. Bond" but is numbered 25/2500 on the the bottom, in a cutout area of the base felt. A tag taped to the bottom gives the title and artist's name, the date 1992 as well as mentions that the edition is closed. Aside from the original price, no other information is given however. Once again, AAARGH!!!

So here I present my two bronze sculptures by one J. H. Bond, mystery artist of the month. Please, PLEASE, I'd love to have more information on the artist and these two pieces!!

Chief Joseph? Plains Native Man Bust, J. H. Bond, bronze, ???, front

Chief Joseph? Plains Native Man Bust, J. H. Bond, bronze, ???, right

Chief Joseph? Plains Native Man Bust, J. H. Bond, bronze, ???, back

Chief Joseph? Plains Native Man Bust, J. H. Bond, bronze, ???, left

Chief Joseph? Plains Native Man Bust, J. H. Bond, bronze, ???, from above

Chief Joseph? Plains Native Man Bust, J. H. Bond, bronze, ???, signature

"Tree Burial", J. H. Bond, 1992, 25/2500, bronze, front

"Tree Burial", J. H. Bond, 1992, 25/2500, bronze, back

"Tree Burial", J. H. Bond, 1992, 25/2500, bronze, edition mark

"Tree Burial", J. H. Bond, 1992, 25/2500, bronze, signature

Tim Sullivan (contemporary) - "Vision Seeker"

About a year and a half ago now, I was laying in a hospital bed with more time and internet access than mobility. It was Christmas and I was feeling pretty down. While surfing various auctions online, I came across a poorly worded but very interesting looking statue with an incredibly low starting bid. The seller didn't post more than a line about how they didn't know anything about it and if you didn't like it then you didn't have to bid on it. At the same time, I had no idea the dimensions of the piece, the name of the artist, nothing. Plus it looked so dirty that it could have been made of raw and corroded pewter, for all the detail the pictures showed. It actually looked rather silvery... They cast the line and reeled me in! I bid accordingly and was the only one to do so. I won it for an amazingly low price.

Fortunately I was released from the hospital a couple days later to prepare for back surgery. One day about a week later a quite large package showed up on my doorstep. At first I wondered what the heck it was and then was quite shocked to find it contained the statue I had won, and that it was indeed made of solid bronze. The bronze is a whopping 10 inches tall and the solid wood base another 1-3/4 inches high, making it nearly a foot tall and quite heavy. But wow, it wasn't just dirty, it was fffiiiiilllthy. I don't believe it had been dusted in decades much less properly cleaned and waxed. The dust had solidified into a crust that didn't move with gentle fingernail action, and it had so many nooks, crevices and tiny but deep niches that it was going to be a challenge to get clean much less waxed. It was going to take a more serious approach than my other bronzes had. The artist's name and mark were clear on the back, "Sullivan" over a tomahawk, with a copyright symbol and dated '83 with the edition number of AP/25 (this is the Artist's Proof of the sculpture and another 25 were released in the regular edition). There was no plaque on the base or title on the work itself, so I began doing my due diligence to find out as much as I could. A little research led me to the artist, Tim Sullivan, and a quite pleasant call to that very nice man led to the the title of the piece - "Vision Seeker." Mr. Sullivan commented on it being one of his early full bronze sculptures and that it had sold out "pretty quickly" after it was originally offered in 1983. We had a pleasant chat for about half an hour that I feel would have lasted longer if my medications hadn't started to kick in and knock me out. :)

Prolific sculptor Tim Sullivan is probably best known for his impressive output of small to medium sized figurines for the Chilmark Company (among others). His works for Chilmark were primarily made of pewter but were often decorated with applied metals like silver, copper and bronze in a vermeil technique. They are in large part quite well realized and neatly sculpted, showing the artist's fine grasp of not only his subject matter but a clear understanding of design and anatomy. Many of the larger Chilmark pieces are worth a substantial amount of money today and are highly collectible, especially since the company folded in 2000.

What many of the collectors of his pewter figures don't realize is that Tim Sullivan was a sculptor of gallery bronzes as well. Over the course of his career he had garnered over fifty prizes for his sculptures and his works are held in collections all over the world. Sadly, several years ago he suffered a major heart attack which deprived his brain of oxygen for roughly ten minutes. This event led to his retirement, as he said he lost his inspiration to sculpt. "It just went pffft," he told me. Though he is no longer sculpting, we are all very fortunate that he is still with us and remains a kind and generous man who is quite willing to talk about his art. When I talked to him, he told me that he is still selling the last of several of his lovely sculptures that were in his inventory prior to his retirement. If you  like his work and want an original for yourself, click on the link to the right and check out his catalogue. There are still a few very lovely sculptures available which have not closed out their editions. But hurry! The early bird gets the worm (and hopefully gets to chat with Mr. Sullivan too).

Having had two spinal surgeries myself since acquiring this lovely piece, I was not only not allowed to lift it but was physically unable to. I didn't want to post it here until it was properly cleaned, waxed and looking top notch. Today I was finally feeling well enough to take a chance at lifting it to clean it, and WOW, I'm glad I got it scrubbed up and waxed!!! I unscrewed it from the base, cleaned it with a soft brush and mild soap to remove the crud. The dust (and probably ash - I believe it came from a smoker's household) came right off after a good mild soapy water soak and scrub with a soft used toothbrush, the old wax having protected the metal and patina. A fresh coat of Renaissance Wax and a good buffing later and it looks like a million bucks! Probably weighs about the same too. ;) I refused to take before and after pictures. The point of this blog is to feature the artwork, not the process of cleaning and maintaining it. Besides, it is such a wonderful creation that it should only be seen at its best.

Depicted here is a Native American Northern Plains Indian medicine man (possibly Sioux) making an appeal to a higher power. He's muscular but looks as if he's been fasting for a while - his belly is very flat and his cheeks a bit sunken, like he's missed a few good meals. He is seated on a pile of rocks draped with a buffalo hide and a buffalo skull sits below his right foot. He's wearing a simple outfit, a buffalo horn headdress with a feathered headband, a plain loincloth and moccasins. On his right forearm is a round shield covered with decorated hide and edged with leather ribbons. Hanging from his left hand by a strap looped over his thumb and around his wrist is a war club with a hatchet head at the end of the handle. He's seated with his legs loosely crossed, arms raised to the sky into which his upturned face stares. A breeze from his left gently blows his hair, feathers and ribbons to the right. Even in his stillness, the artist has captured a sense of motion. It's a very impressive piece!

So now I present to you "Vision Seeker" by Tim Sullivan. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

"Vision Seeker" by Tim Sullivan, bronze, 1983, AP/25, front

"Vision Seeker" by Tim Sullivan, bronze, 1983, AP/25, left

"Vision Seeker" by Tim Sullivan, bronze, 1983, AP/25, back

"Vision Seeker" by Tim Sullivan, bronze, 1983, AP/25, right

"Vision Seeker" by Tim Sullivan, bronze, 1983, AP/25, close-up

"Vision Seeker" by Tim Sullivan, bronze, 1983, AP/25, signature

American Orchid Society Trophy Plaque and Medals - Blanche Ames Ames (February 18, 1878 – March 2, 1969)

Hello everyone! After a protracted illness, I'm finally able to begin posting the bronzes in my collection again. I have a LONG way to go before I'll have them all up here. I'm still unable to lift my larger bronzes (that's going to take a bit more time and healing), but I'm very happy to be back!!

I am going to kick this off again with my most recent acquisition, a beautiful gilded bronze trophy plaque from the American Orchid Society featuring the official seal which was designed by the famed Blanche Ames Ames in 1921. Depicted in the upper center medallion is a muscular Native Indian man wearing a loincloth and long feathers laid back in his hair. He's kneeling next to two orchids growing on a ledge, Phragmipedium caudatum and Encyclia tampensisone. Given the first orchid is found between Peru and Bolivia and the second in the environs of Tampa, Florida, it's difficult to pin him to a specific tribe (if that matters). It's a very gentle and contemplative pose, quite at odds with the typical depictions of a powerful Indian brave that one would see at that time but very in keeping with both the native origins of the orchids as well as the gentleness of the pursuit of orchid cultivation. There are small rubs in the gilding at the shoulder and forearm, typical light wear to the finish for its age. On the back is soldered a tab with a place to insert a ring or string to hang it.

I have no idea how old this plaque is, as I've read an auction description of one that was said to have been awarded in 1963 (the images were long since deleted). I've only seen pictures of two other examples of this image on an award, one on a gold medal that had been turned into a brooch pin and was dated 1928 in the engraving, the other a nearly identical  undated and not engraved plaque that I had lost in spirited bidding before winning this one. I believe the one I lost out on was either newer and painted rather than gilded or had been repainted in the past due to the lack of detail in the seal that this one has, when comparing the auction pictures and differences in patina. Modern AOS trophies that I've seen have had an odd outline version of the seal laser etched inside a tapered block of Lucite and set on a base, and a perhaps intermediate version of the trophy with a "coin" with the same odd cutout version of this seal encapsulated inside. While the image on my plaque may remain the official seal, when it appears on their modern awards it's not like it once was. Research is ongoing though...

From my research, when the AOS gives awards at shows, the winners receive a certificate and the right to purchase a trophy (or plaque or medal, in the past), which the winner would have to pay for themselves. I believe that any engraving was an additional charge, which would help explain why these awards have none.

So, in total, that's three plaques like this so far that I've managed to find any reference to. I'm not certain if this indicates an actual rarity of the award plaques themselves or just a scarcity of plaques that have come up for sale. I have seen the seal on award medals too, usually in silver or bronze without the backing plaque. I'll update this post if I pick up more.

Blanche Ames Ames (1876-1969), born Blanche Ames, was a woman who was famous in her own time. Not only was she a noted artist, she was famous as a suffragette and early proponent of providing specialized health care and birth control to women. She was married to famed Harvard botanist and professor Oakes Ames (no relation - when she took his name she became "Blanche Ames Ames"). Oakes was a world renowned expert in orchids and with his wife traveled around the world studying the lovely plants and flowers. His work (which included Blanche's scientific illustrations of the flowers and plants) became a seven volume series of books called Orchidicae: Illustrations and Studies of the Family Orchidicae. It is still considered one of the most important works on orchids published to date and was the earliest comprehensive study of orchids undertaken. If you think of these books as being to orchids what John James Audubon's The Birds of America is to birds, well, it would be an apt comparison. Blanche and Oakes Ames were two of the founders of the AOS too. For more on Blanche and Oakes Ames, all one has to do is a simple search and a wealth of information is available.

I'm VERY glad to have this in my collection and will keep an eye out for others too.

Edit: After purchasing this plaque last summer, I remained in contact with the seller (a dealer in medals and medallions). He mentioned that he might have a couple more medals. Sure enough, he did! Both are bronze, struck by Medallic Arts of NY and are not engraved or personalized. They're in great condition with patinas commensurate with their age. I believe one is a bit older than the other as the details on one are slightly crisper than the other. I'm VERY happy with them! Pictures are below.

Edit 2: I have also purchased a second plaque, virtually identical to the first but with a bit more coppery hue, which came with the optional base/stand that is nothing more than a small, rectangular block of wood with a slot on top. When I finally took it down to photograph it, I had not remembered that the back looked to have been silvered and it had written on it in ink, "FWCOS (for Florida West Coast Orchid Society) FEB 1965." I'll see what I can do to find out more. I also purchased an undated Lucite award with one of the bronze medals embedded in it. Pictures of both have been added.

 

Enjoy!

 

American Orchid Society trophy plaque, Blanche Ames Ames, seal created 1921, gilded bronze, front

 

American Orchid Society trophy plaque, Blanche Ames Ames, seal created 1921, gilded bronze, seal detail w/signature monogram

 

 

American Orchid Society trophy plaque, Blanche Ames Ames, seal created 1921, gilded bronze, back

 

American Orchid Society medals, Blanche Ames Ames, seal created 1921, bronze, dates unknown, front

American Orchid Society medals, Blanche Ames Ames, seal created 1921, bronze, dates unknown, left reversed

American Orchid Society medals, Blanche Ames Ames, seal created 1921, bronze, dates unknown, right reversed

American Orchid Society trophy plaque no.2, Blanche Ames Ames, seal created 1921, coppery gilded bronze, front

American Orchid Society trophy plaque no.2, Blanche Ames Ames, seal created 1921, coppery gilded bronze, seal detail w/signature monogram

American Orchid Society trophy plaque no.2, Blanche Ames Ames, seal created 1921, coppery gilded bronze, back

American Orchid Society trophy, Blanche Ames Ames, seal created 1921, gilded bronze medal and plaque set in Lucite, front

American Orchid Society trophy, Blanche Ames Ames, seal created 1921, gilded bronze medal and plaque set in Lucite, side view

American Orchid Society trophy, Blanche Ames Ames, seal created 1921, gilded bronze medal and plaque set in Lucite, back