Carl Kauba (1865-1922), Still In Demand Today!

If you're not familiar with Carl Kauba, well, I don't know what to say. Do a simple search and you'll find far more information that I could post here.
I bought the first, rather small bronze of an Indian standing with rifle in hand in an online auction, at an almost give-away price. This one is not very old, but it is solid bronze and cold-painted, just like the original Vienna bronzes. It is not stamped with any foundry marks or "Geschutzt" (copyright) like an early Vienna bronze would be, however. I'm of two minds about this one. It's clearly newer (I'm guessing somewhere from the 1960's-80's?), but I don't think it's a copy per se, more of a continuation of the original castings. Many people are not aware, but the Bergmann foundry in Vienna is still in existence and still producing cold-painted bronzes! It is estimated that they have 20 to 30 thousand different molds, which they rotate through from time to time. I'm given to understand that the molds for Carl Kauba's bronzes are still in their store rooms, and occasionally a run of castings are made from them. As his works were never intended to be limited in production (beyond what they felt they could sell, that is), it's not even disingenuous to call this an original. It's just not very old. I'm not certain of the official title, but since the titles tended to be simple and obvious, I'm calling it "Standing Indian With Rifle." Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

The second piece is a bit better known. "Shot In The Eye" was a Chief of the Oglala Lakota who fought and lost his eye in the Battle of Little Big Horn. He was often photographed after. This piece is a modern reproduction of a Carl Kauba original. It may have come from the modern Vienna foundries, but I have no idea if it did or not. This is a very popular piece that has never really been out of production since it first came out, from what I can tell. I've had this for a couple years, and recently found it behind a stack of books, completely forgotten!

The third bronze is another modern Vienna casting, and is a new grouping of old models on a new base. I won this for an excellent price in an online auction because the seller misinterpreted and misspelled the signature. The Indian on the horse and the kneeling Indian scout were originally cast as individual pieces but have been grouped together here in one sculpture. What the Vienna foundries often do is to take the original models and either modify or group them differently to create a new work without creating an entirely new sculpture. One can often find the elements of a complex Vienna bronze in other iterations. I think it's rather cool. Considering the new bronzes are made in the same method and about the same quantities as the antiques were, they're still a very viable and collectible form of art, in my opinion.

I have several other pieces by Carl Kauba, or at least that are signed as such. I'll add those to this post in the near future.

"Standing Indian With Rifle" by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, front

"Standing Indian With Rifle" by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, left

"Standing Indian With Rifle" by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, back

"Standing Indian With Rifle" by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, right

"Standing Indian With Rifle" by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, Indian close up

"Standing Indian With Rifle" by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, signature

"Shot In The Eye" by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, front

"Shot In The Eye" by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, left

"Shot In The Eye" by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, back

"Shot In The Eye" by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, right

"Shot In The Eye" by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, signature

Two Indians by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, front

Two Indians by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, left

Two Indians by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, back

Two Indians by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, right

Two Indians by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, close up

Two Indians by Carl Kauba (1865-1922), bronze, signature

A Beautiful Bronze by Denny Haskew

I've been chasing after this work since I saw a picture of the monument size statue that adorns the National Museum Of The American Indian in Washington, DC. The original is called "Strength Of The Maker" and is an allegorical work about the relationship between God and Man, sculpted by master sculptor Denny Haskew (tribal affiliation: Potawatomie) of Colorado. I think it's just an incredibly beautiful work of art, regardless of the meaning behind it. Since I can't even afford to dream about owning a copy of the monument, and the (sold out) maquette size is still far beyond my price range, I found another version that I could afford. In 1987 Mr. Haskew made a similar bronze for The Franklin Mint titled "Preparing For The Hunt." Normally even this would be beyond my limited budget, but I happened to be fortunate enough to be in the right place, at the right time, and with a few bucks in my pocket to be able to pick this one up at a really good price. I know, it's more officially "collectible" than "fine art," but really, can't something of this caliber be both?

One day I shall own a true copy of "Strength Of The Maker," but until then, I present "Preparing For The Hunt" by Colorado artist Denny Haskew. The Franklin Mint didn't affix these bronzes to the bases, rather they put strips of felt on the contact points to deter damage. That's why the sculpture may seem to sit in different places on the base in these pictures - because it does! He's not darker on one side than the other, that's just the way the shadow fell.

It's just as impressive in real life, too. I'm thrilled that I've finally added this wonderful sculpture to my collection!

"Preparing For The Hunt" by Denny Haskew, bronze, 1987, front

"Preparing For The Hunt" by Denny Haskew, bronze, 1987, right

"Preparing For The Hunt" by Denny Haskew, bronze, 1987, back

"Preparing For The Hunt" by Denny Haskew, bronze, 1987, right

"Preparing For The Hunt" by Denny Haskew, bronze, 1987, close up

American Paper And Pulp Association Plaques and extras!

This particular odyssey began with a really good find and disappointing loss. I had been outbid in an auction for a beautiful bronze plaque and was really bummed. I'd had no idea what the plaque had been made for or for whom, but I knew that I really liked it. The artwork was exquisite though the left side of the front was oddly pockmarked and it had no writing on it. A brief time later, while searching the internet, I found an ad for this plaque. It was clearly the original version of the plaque I'd failed to win with all of the original wording on the front intact, and that answered my most basic questions. The best part was that the price was significantly less than my final bid had been for the reproduction! I snapped it up. It is actually a cast piece, though it is thin enough that it looks like repoussé from the other side. I believe it was a gift, meant to be hung in the office of the Association member who received it. Other than the obvious words on it and the "335" stamped into the back, the artist (as well as the foundry, one of which likely has the initials "CC" seen on the front) remains a mystery. If anyone knows something about this, let me know!

The funny thing about the reproduction (and I've now seen a few of them), the words were removed (cleaned off the mold and the area dimpled to match the rest of the background) before the recast was made. The area where the letters pass through the feathers was also stippled, making the feathers look weirdly chopped off. It's very easy to tell the difference between an original and a copy. I'm very, very glad to have purchased an original versus the reproduction.

 

 

 

American Paper and Pulp Association member plaque, bronze, no. 335, front

American Paper and Pulp Association member plaque, bronze, no. 335, obverse

American Paper and Pulp Association member plaque, bronze, no. 335, serial number

 

As the years have passed, I have seen a whole bunch and purchased several other examples of this organization's logo, on plaques, trade show medals, and even letterheads and books. Firstly, I bought another bronze plaque that is identical to the first (albeit shinier) that is numbered 126. Each of the plaques are numbered uniquely on the back, to the right of the hanger ring. I believe they were numbered sequentially. I have seen numbers run up into the 700's, so at one time there were quite a few of these out in the world! 

 

 

American Paper and Pulp Association member plaque, bronze, no. 126, front

American Paper and Pulp Association member plaque, bronze, no. 126, obverse

American Paper and Pulp Association member plaque, no. 126, serial number

One dated convention medal came to me sans its ribbon. It appears to be gilded bronze and has the date April 11-14, 1921 cast in the medal across the bottom. Stamped into the back is a small logo from the manufacturer, The Standard Emblem Company of Providence, RI. It is in excellent condition for its age, no damage or wear to the gilding present. It could use cleaning, but I've left it alone for now.

American Paper and Pulp Association medal, gilded bronze, dated April 11-14, 1921, front

American Paper and Pulp Association medal, gilded bronze, dated April 11-14, 1921, obverse

I purchased another medal that is very similar to the last but is slightly larger in diameter and is undated. Again, it was produced by the Standard Emblem Company of Providence, Rhode Island and is missing its ribbon. It is in amazing condition for being close on a century old.

American Paper and Pulp Association medal, gilded bronze, undated, front

American Paper and Pulp Association medal, gilded bronze, undated, obverse

 

I purchased two medals with their ribbons intact as well. The first is likely the oldest. I believe it is silver plated bronze, though it may well be sterling silver. It has a ribbon in the form of the American flag (very cool), though it is missing its back pin and possibly a top bar. There are no markings on the back save some dried glue from an old price tag. Again, for being roughly a hundred years old, the fact that the silk has survived at all is nothing short of delightful!

American Paper and Pulp Association medal, silver (plated?), undated, silk American flag ribbon, front

American Paper and Pulp Association medal, silver (plated?), undated, silk American flag ribbon, front, closeup

The second beribboned medal came from a meeting of the technical arm of the American Paper and Pulp Association called TAPPI (Technical Association of the Pulp & Paper Industry), which was formed in 1915. The medal is gilded bronze and is not dated in the medal but is dated on the ribbon. The upper bronze frame and pin are extant and in excellent condition. It was made for the fifteenth annual meeting of TAPPI on February 18-20, 1930 by the Standard Emblem Company of Providence, RI. The medal was used by TAPPI representative R. (Ronald) G. MacDonald. Mr. MacDonald was the editor of the TAPPI trade publication created from these meetings, the Technical Association Papers, in the 1930's and 1940's. Research is ongoing!

American Paper and Pulp Association, TAPPI participation medal, gilded bronze, dated 1930, front

American Paper and Pulp Association, TAPPI participation medal, gilded bronze, dated 1930, reverse

American Paper and Pulp Association, TAPPI participation medal, glided bronze, dated 1930, obverse

And last but not least for now comes this little sweetheart. This is a small sterling silver round medallion attached to a shield shaped wood plaque backing that is stained walnut color. In the center of the medallion is the Association's Indian chief head logo though this time he is surrounded by images of events in the history of paper making in the United States. After a good deal of research, I found out that this plaque was presented to the guests of the American Paper and Pulp Association's 50th Anniversary Jubilee dinner held at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City on February 24, 1927. These plaques are very rare indeed! Mine is in excellent condition and has a small ring tacked to the back so it can be hung from a nail.

 

American Paper and Pulp Association, 50th Anniversary Jubilee plaque, 1927, silver on wood

 

The Standard Emblem Company was incorporated on July 2, 1918 in Providence, Rhode Island by George A MacCann, Thomas H. Foley and John G. Steele as a jewelry importer and manufacturer. I can find no information about the company after about 1937, so that may be a good date range for their medals.

That's everything from the American Paper and Pulp Association that I have right now. I have been contemplating displaying them in a shadowbox, but I have yet to find a layout that I like. As I purchase more from them, I'll add them here.

Joe Beeler (1931-2006), Cowboy Artist Extraordinaire!

Another happy find for my collection was this bronze award plaque from the Arizona Historical Foundation. Now, you might not think that what is essentially a trophy could be considered art. I say, consider who sculpted it!

The Arizona Historical Foundation was founded in 1959 by Senator Barry Goldwater, who had no small measure of fame as a photographer himself. Members of the board came from among the politically powerful and "upper crust" of Arizona society. One of the prominent members of the board was grocery store magnate Eddie Basha. He was close friends with the well-known artist Joe Beeler (in fact, Mr. Basha had Mr. Beeler design many "tokens" that Eddie used to give out as gifts - they are highly collectible now!). While this piece is unsigned, it's not surprising that when they wanted a showy award, these bigwigs went to the local bigwig artist to have it made. The plaque depicts the residents of Arizona through history - the Indian, the Spanish Priest and the Cowboy, along with a few Arizonan implements (like a gold pan and cattle brand), on a background of Arizona's sun rays (from the state flag). The Arizona Historical Foundation was merged into the Arizona Historical Society in 2012, so these awards will never be given out again.

I don't think I really need to write a whole lot about Joe Beeler. He was a famous artist in his lifetime, and is still highly regarded today. His bio can be found all over the web.

Mine is an early award - on the canteen is inscribed "US ARMY" (rather awkwardly, actually). On later casts this area was smooth. I'm uncertain how many were made or awarded. The research is ongoing.

Edit: I recently found this in the Arizona State University (ASU) General Catalogue of 1965-67; "Arizona Historical Foundation Award. A cash award of $100 and a bronze plaque emblematic of the joint contribution of the Indian, Spanish, Mexican and Anglo-American cultures of Arizona, given to a graduating senior in history who has shown outstanding aptitude in Arizona and Southwestern history." The award is still mentioned in the ASU GC of 1968-1971 but no mention is made of the specifics of the award, only that it was awarded to a senior. No mention of the award is found in the GC's prior to the 1965-67 edition or in the 1979-81 and after, so without anything else to go by,  I must assume that this plaque was not awarded more than a dozen or so times at ASU (between 1965-1978) and possibly less, if the later awards were just cash. The plaque may have been given out with other AHS awards however... but if it was limited to just one ASU senior per annum for 13 years more or less, then it's a rare piece indeed!

"Arizona Historical Foundation Award" by Joe Beeler, front

"Arizona Historical Foundation Award" by Joe Beeler, back

"Arizona Historical Foundation Award" by Joe Beeler, detail

Joseph De Yong, assistant to Charles Marion Russell and friend to the stars

Next up is a piece by yet another overlooked artist (undeservedly overlooked, in my opinion). Joseph Franklin De Yong (also spelled DeYong, deYong and de Yong, 1894-1975) was born in Missouri but raised in Indian Territory (known as Oklahoma today). He was a childhood friend of Will Rogers and poked cattle as a teenager with Tom Mix, most likely on the Miller Brothers 101 Ranch outside of Ponca City, Oklahoma (they ran a Wild West show, much like Buffalo Bill's). A bout of spinal meningitis at 18 left him profoundly deaf and weak on one side of his body, though the weakness eventually passed. During his recuperation, he wrote letters to his favorite artist, Charles Marion Russell, whose works he had seen in magazines. Russell hired on the talented young artist as his assistant in 1916, a position De Yong held until Russell's death in 1926 (they were both fluent in Indian sign language - the studio was said to be a quiet place!). He went on to become a successful technical consultant and set designer for Western movies made by such friends as John Wayne and Cecil B. DeMille, though he never married or had children.

Joe De Yong's works have, until recently, fallen into the Zelig-like space of "also ran". He was there at all the important events and knew everyone of consequence, but was not himself famous. It's a position that he did not deserve. I think that had he pushed his own work more than spending his life after 1926 safeguarding Russell's legacy, his work would be better known to the world at large. Fortunately for us all, Joe De Yong's fame is only growing every year.

This piece is something of a conundrum for me. Titled "Piegan Indian Head", the original casting was done most likely in the 1920's or 30's, in a run of 35. My bronze is not numbered, not signed and actually has greater detail (especially in the robe and hair) than the original casts! I'm somewhat befuddled by it. I have never heard of anyone (in their right mind or not) making knockoffs of Joe De Yong's bronzes. He just wasn't that popular. Yet this one is clearly newer than the original casts, but still has some real age to it.  My guess is, toward the end of his life, Joe had new casts made from his original model, probably using the lost wax method. Now, if the originals were sand cast, that could easily explain the difference in the level of detail between the two. Unfortunately, most of the people who could have cleared up the mystery have passed on. If anyone out there knows the real story, please let me know!

P.S. - The white you see on the piece is what happens when you're distracted in the middle of waxing a bronze and don't get back to polish it for a week. 

P.P.S - I have recently purchased another copy of this piece, this one signed by the artist. I am looking forward to comparing the two when it arrives. Stay tuned!

"Piegan Indian Head" by Joe De Yong, bronze, front

"Piegan Indian Head" by Joe De Yong, bronze, left

"Piegan Indian Head" by Joe De Yong, bronze, back

"Piegan Indian Head" by Joe De Yong, bronze, right

Gary Herbert (1935-2006) "Navajo Man II"

Here is a lovely bronze by listed Colorado artist Gary Herbert. The artist led an interesting life - he was a lawyer who drew cartoons for Harvard Lampoon while in law school. While practicing law, he was inspired by a colleague's collection of Frederic Remington bronzes to begin sculpting. He quickly gained a reputation for his work and was soon giving up law to sculpt full time. He only sculpted from live models, never from photographs. After a devastating car accident in 1980, he returned to law practice but continued to sculpt in his free time. He passed away in 2006 at 71.

This is another piece that I'm very lucky to own. In my opinion, artists like Gary Herbert are under-appreciated in today's market. His pieces are very well done, but his name is relatively unknown. I really think that some day, his work will be just as collectible as those by Phimister Proctor or Bessie Vonnoh Potter. "Navajo Man II" is number 5 of 15 and was created in 1973.

"Navajo Man II" by Gary Herbert, 1973, 5/15, front

"Navajo Man II" by Gary Herbert, 1973, 5/15, left

"Navajo Man II" by Gary Herbert, 1973, 5/15, back

"Navajo Man II" by Gary Herbert, 1973, 5/15, signature

An Unknown Commemorative Plaque

I bought this a couple years ago in an online auction for really very little. It's clearly a commemorative plaque of some sort, but is totally unsigned and unidentified. The level of detail is amazing! The bronze depicts a group of people barricaded in a cave while the Indians attack, coming over a pile of sticks and pushing past a cloth that blocked the entrance, with long knives and hatchet held high. A man stands on the right, wearing the outfit of a Colonial era soldier, pistol in hand. At his feet a woman gives comfort to another young lady. Both wear dresses also correct for the Colonial era. At the lower left, another man with long hair, also wearing period clothes including a long coat with wide cuffs, reclines on the ground. In his right hand is what appears to be a book. It also looks like his pants are partway down! Next to his right hand is a pile of military-related items - the hilt of a broken sword, some sort of trumpet-ended object (musketoon barrel?) and possibly a cloak. The Indians have their heads shaved save for scalp locks that are tied up in roaches, much in the manner of Northeastern Woodland tribes of the day (especially Mohawk and Iroquois) and appear to be shirtless.

For the life of me, I haven't been able to find anything about the scene depicted. I've beat my head against this wall enough, so now I'm putting it out in the world and hoping for an answer. The seller said she picked it up at a yard sale somewhere in New England... I'd dearly love to know what exactly is being depicted here, even if it only shows one rather specific viewpoint. Four European colonists in a cave, a younger-looking man with long loose locks laying on the ground apparently with his pantaloons halfway down, a younger-looking woman in distress being cradled by an older woman, both across the cave and also on the ground, being guarded by an older soldier while the Native raiders attack. Really?! Just what is going on here?

I have found that this plaque is merely the center panel of a larger bronze plaque or charger. I have purchased two of these as well and will post pictures soon. It is made of cast bronze but is not overly large or heavy and may well have been meant to be used as a charger under a glass dish, if not a wall hanging. I have yet to find a signature on that, either, though I have seen a few other identical ones for sale too.

Edit: I think this scene depicts Chapter 12 of James Fenimore Cooper's "Last of the Mohicans," the defense at Glens Falls. Major Heyward (in uniform) stands at the ready, Cora and Alice huddle to the right and David Gamut the music master sprawls on the floor while the Huron break through the defense. It fits entirely with a late 18th century dating (seems accurate given the patina of all of the pieces) and probably a French origin, as Cooper lived in Paris for years and his novel was a solid hit in France at the time.

Unknown Commemorative Bronze Plaque, front

Unknown Commemorative Bronze Plaque, back