Verdigris Horse head or bust

Forums: Art, Art I D, Etruscan Horse Art, Verdigris Horse Head
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Trying to identify a bronze or brass? horse bust I've had for 25 years and no one seems to have ever seen. It 's an unmarked elongated Etruscan horse head with a verdigris patina, and stands 16" tall (without the wooden base.) I've tried for years to find info on the maker with no luck. I don't see any way to add a photo here, so don't know if this post will be much help either. Thanks!

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Type: Question • Score: 6 • Views: 2,014 • Replies: 25

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@Crazy Horse Lady,

Use a separate photo hosting site like Imgur, Photobucket or Image Shack, then paste the link here.

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@jespah,

While we await the photo, I'll post one of my favorite art works, etruscan horses, in this case, winged. They were found in a tomb in Tarquinia (Italy) and are made of terra cotta.

http://www.paradoxplace.com/Perspectives/Rome%20&%20Central%20Italy/Tarquinia/Images/Terracotta-Horses-BR500.jpg

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@jespah,

Here's the link to the photo:
http://i1076.photobucket.com/albums/w450/queenofthebarn2you/Horse%20Bust.jpg

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@jespah,

Thanks so much for the photo tip!

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@Crazy Horse Lady,

That's quite a beautiful piece. I'll look around online.

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@ossobuco,

I give up for now, but I'm still interested. I didn't see anything quite like it in all my looking at pages of images.

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I have my own horse head bust, belonged to my mother.

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@Crazy Horse Lady,

That is so unusual (it seems) and so beautiful, I wonder if you should get it appraised. I gather that costs some fair number of dollars to do at a reputable place, but you might ask. Others here would know better than I do where to ask the cost and procedure involved.. It might be a clever recent piece copying an oldie.

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@ossobuco,

I've been looking for 25 years! I did try a couple of appraisal services, but they weren't able to find him either. One said it was similar to a few sets of bookends that Dodge produced, but they couldn't get any closer than that. Guess I may never know where he came from, but I've really enjoyed having him in my home!

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@jcboy,

That's lovely! Is it marble?

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This is the one, a bronze, that it most reminds me of, and your photo and this one are not at all alike, really, so this photo is a large red herring.

http://www.arttrav.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/archaeology-museum-horse.jpg

http://www.arttrav.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/archaeology-museum-horse.jpg

Where did you get the idea it is of an etruscan horse, do you remember?
Something roman or roman copying about the mane, but that may be my imagination.

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@Crazy Horse Lady,

Mine is soapstone. I've never seen another one like it.

I tried searching for yours but with no luck.

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@Crazy Horse Lady,

Its actually pretty cool compared to some of the art work people post. It almost lloks like its some kind of "brutalist style" with a nice polish on the patina.
Harry Bertoia worked mainly in wire bursts and plate stock but he did a few pieces of things like this.
Thatd be neat if it was a H Bertoia. I think Id have it appraised for real.

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@jcboy,

Thank you for trying ~ I appreciate it!!

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@jcboy,

That's a nice statue yo have. Thanks looking for mine ~ I appreciate it!!

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@farmerman,

Hi,
Thanks for the tip, but I've tried a couple of online appraisers, and as it turned out, they couldn't identify it either. Some of them won't even look at your piece unless it's valued at over $500.00. How are you supposed to know what it's worth, if it's not signed and you don't know anything about it?

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@Crazy Horse Lady,

just for grins, see if you cant find an appraiser who specializes in Bertoia's work and ask for some advice with the picture(Ssince its so close to Bertoia's brutalist style, maybe its a knockoff, an original, or one done "in the style of"... Harry Bertoia.
Hint: if it is a Bertaia, it could be worth in the tens of thousnds or more. (some of his radiating armatures are worth over 100K.

So, its in your court. Good Luck

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@Crazy Horse Lady,

Beautiful!

My first thought was Greek or Spartan in style.

Here's a Spartan horse....I'll go look for others.

http://img1.wfrcdn.com/lf/50/hash/10626/11248982/1/Design-Toscano-Greek-Ironwork-Spartan-Horse-Figurine-SP806.jpg

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Verdigris Horse head or bust

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