DALLAS – Heritage is proud to offer the Zobel collection of antique Vienna bronzes in its entirety, more than 250 examples in all, representing every genre from the American West to the Arab World, India and the Far East. Selections from this collection will be offered in a series of auctions; Heritage’s February 25 Art of the West Showcase Auction includes 16 magnificent examples. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
Joseph and Sonia Zobel found their first Vienna bronze, a gift from an older relative who had brought it from her native Austria, more than five decades ago, and it was love at first sight.
It is hard not to love these exquisite little bronzes, modeled and cast to the highest standards of Viennese craftsmanship honed by centuries of tradition, and beautifully painted in a subtle, naturalistic palette which brings them to life. The high point of production was from about 1895 until World War I, when world events interrupted.
This short window at the end of a magnificent era became the Zobels’ hunting ground at a time, before the eBay tsunami, when precious little antiques could still be found in precious little antique shops, flea markets and the odd garage sale.
Joseph and Sonia did it right. Buying with discrimination, choosing only the best in condition, rarity and form, and keeping as many as their budget allowed. The rest they sold and traded during many years, setting up at regional antique shows where every aficionado knew if you wanted a great Vienna bronze, see Joe Zobel, who had the stock and had literally ‘wrote the book’ on the subject.
Highlights from the Zobel collection in this auction include, but are not limited to:
Warrior Chief with Rifle by Carl Kauba, which is estimated at $4,000-$6,000.
An Austrian School figure of an Indian, estimated at $4,000-$6,000.
An Austrian School work, Under the Tree, which is also a lamp. Its estimate is $1,500-$2,500.
Mounted Brave with a Rifle by Carl Kauba. It carries an estimate of $1,500-$2,500.
Carl Karuba, ‘Chief, Standing with Rifle,’ est. $1,000-$2,000. Courtesy Heritage Auctions
Chief, Standing with Rifle, another strong Carl Kauba work. Its estimate is $1,000-$2,000.
Mounted Brave Drawing Bow and Arrow, a markedly dynamic bronze by Franz Xaver Bergman, estimated at $1,000-$2,000.
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