Rare Lifesize Zinc "Dog of Alcibiades" (Molosser Dog)

This important and unusual pair of life size French 19th century Blue Herons are realistically depicted with the two birds foraging in their natural environment. One large Heron is h...

A superb quality and palatial pair of French 19th century lifesize cast-iron sculptures - torcheres of Native American Indians titled "L’ Indienne" designed by Jules Salmson (French, 1823-1902) and Cast by Le Fonderies d'Art du Val d'Osne, each standing figure representing a Native American Indian male and a female scantily dressed in their native robes, one arm raised holding a light-torch with an opaline glass globe, both wearing earrings, seashell necklaces and arm-braces, raised on cylindrical cast-iron stand. Signed/cast on each pedestal: “VAL D’OSNE”. (Electrified). Paris, circa 1870-1880. Overall hHeight: 127 inches (322.6 cm) Pedestal height: 39 inches (99.1 cm) Indian man's width: 22 inches (55.9 cm) Indian man's depth: 26 3/4 inches (68 cm) Indian woman's width: 28 inches (71.1 cm) Indian woman's depth: 25 inches (63.5 cm) These fantastic and impressive pair of cast-iron sculptures, most likely representing Hiawatha and Minnehaha, were probably comissioned to Le Fonderies d'Art du Val d'Osne for export to the America's to decorate governmental buildings and parks which makes these pair a rare find and now available for a private collection. Iron sculptures were preferred over bronze for outdoor park and building decorations for their long lasting resistance to all types of weather conditions. An identical pair of sculptures, also by Val d' Osne, are currently exhibited at the National Garden of Congress in Santiago, Chile. View Pages No. 87, 88, 89. Another identical pair are also currently exhibited at The Musée de la Ville - Indian Museum "O Indio do Museo da Cidade" in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Another identical pair decorate the front of the Ópera Teatro Amazonas, Manaús, Brazil. A single figure of the female Indian...