Rare Statue of Liberty Model Coming to Auction
The rare model is one of the only known copies of the Statue of Liberty that artist Frederic Auguste Bartholdi created in advance of embarking on the huge undertaking of creating the actual statue.
CINCINNATI — An extremely rare and recently discovered model of the Statue of Liberty is coming to auction on February 22 at Caza Sikes in Cincinnati.
Caza owner Evan Sikes said the rare model is one of the only known early four-foot copies of the Statue of Liberty that artist Frederic Auguste Bartholdi created in advance of embarking on the huge undertaking of creating the actual statue. Sikes said the model was recently unearthed after decades from a private collection.
The pre-sale estimate is a conservative $20,000-$40,000.
“The only other known examples of the four-foot-tall sculpture are in private collections. This was unearthed in Dayton, Ohio, and we now have it at the gallery on view prior to the auction. It has been in the family since they purchased it from a farm in rural Ohio in the early 20th century,” Sikes said.
The model, produced by the famed foundry Avoiron, is composed of zinc and copper, the same as its 305-foot twin that rises from the waters between New York and New Jersey near Ellis Island.
The Technical Examination Report for Conservation Treatment by the Center for Archaeometry at Washington University confirms that this Avoiron model currently for sale at Caza Sikes does possess all of the distinctive Avoiron model features.
Sikes said that in 1986, Christie’s New York held a special Centennial Exhibition, “Images of Liberty: Models and Reductions of the Statue of Liberty 1867-1917,” and published an accompanying catalog with the same title. In this catalog is a list of contemporaneously known examples of Avoiron Liberty casts, including the current example being offered for sale, which is documented as residing in a Private Collection/Ohio.
Caza Sikes February Fine Art Auction will also feature important historical North and South American sculptures and paintings. The auction will be at 12 pm EST. Another top lot is an exceptional painting by Mexican artist Ricardo Martinez de Hoyes (1918-2009) titled, Cargadores de Cal (The Lime Porters), which is estimated at $80,000-$120,000.
Additional selections in the auction include notable works by American and European artists. Lots can be seen at cazasikes.com
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This will be a live auction. Bidding can take place through phone or absentee bids, live online through Invaluable.com and LiveAuctioneers.com, or in person at 3078 Madison Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45209.
For more information, visit cazasikes.com.
