Bronze Hound's Art Collection: Indian Head Plaque by Alois Sutter

Here yet again is a lovely piece that I watched cycle through relisting after relisting on the big online auction site. I finally found the admittedly modest amount of buy-it-now money to snatch it out from under the dozen or so others who had also been watching it. I'm very glad it found its long term home on my wall!

This piece is a fine cast bronze (I believe it's bronze anyway) plaque of a handsome young Indian man's face. No patina has ever been applied, what is there has been brought about by time. What makes this a bit more unique is that the plaque is oval and the face is raised in high relief, so that it stands out to about where his ears would be hidden behind his hair. In his long hair he wears two feathers and some sort of ribbon or roach holding them upright on the back of his head, the hair at his temples being caught up in ponytails that are wrapped toward the ends. A pair of large hoop earrings, a highly decorated shirt and a peace medal around his neck complete his outfit. Around the front edge is a border with raised edges and "Indian symbols" inside. Cast on the back is, "Casted by Al. Sutter, N28, 2851 Wallace St. Chicago ILL." There is a lug at the top with a ring through it for ease of hanging.

A search of the 1928/9 Chicago City Directory shows an Alois Sutter living at 2851 Wallace Street. Bingo! But that's about all of the info that I have been able to find on him. That address is a 2 unit home (it was back then as well) and looks to be a rental, so I have no idea how long he lived there or what he did for a living. If anyone out there has any info on either this lovely plaque or Alois Sutter, please let me know!

Note: The blue spots on the left side of the forehead in the first picture are from a TV that was on in the background, and the small white spots are flecks of house paint that come off easily with a fingernail but are difficult to see with the naked eye. I'll take new pictures after I remove them!