LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2007 Feb Americana Grand Format Auction #659  / 

25829

Lincoln: An Astonishing Borglum Sculpture

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Historical Memorabilia Start Price:3,750.00 USD Estimated At:15,000.00 - 30,000.00 USD
Lincoln: An Astonishing Borglum Sculpture
<B>Abraham Lincoln: An Astonishing, Monumental Sculpture, Cast In .999 Fine Silver, After The Original By Mount Rushmore Sculptor Gutzon Borglum.</B></I> This massive work, titled "Seated Lincoln" and taken from the original plaster maquette by Gutzon Borglum, contains 1,086 ounces of pure silver. It was number 46 out of an edition of 56, authorized by the Borglum Historical Foundation in 1995, and produced by the Silversmiths Group USA, in conjunction with the Liberty Mint. It is accompanied by a signed certificate of authenticity from the Foundation's officers as well as the notarized bill of sale confirming the original issue price of $28,000.<BR><BR>Borglum's first version, in 1911, was life-sized, cast in bronze, and still stands outside the Essex County Courthouse in Newark, New Jersey. A bronze edition in the same size as the present example, created from the same plaster model, was also released in 1911. It was signed by Borglum, but did not carry a foundry name, although it is thought to have been cast by Gorham Company. Apparently they were issued in very limited numbers, and auction records for that version extend well in to five figures.<BR><BR>Gutzon Borglum (1867-1941) was a renowned creator of public sculpture, the most famous of which is Mount Rushmore. He also chiseled the huge relief images of Lee, Davis, and Stonewall Jackson on the face of Stone Mountain, Georgia. His artistic legacy has been carefully guarded by the Borglum Historical Foundation, and the authorized release of the present version of his Seated Lincoln is not to be confused with the many commercial releases of "limited-edition" sculptures, plaques, et cetera, which have proliferated over the last several decades. In addition to the 56 copies in silver, the Foundation also authorized 122 in bronze in a single example in .999 gold.<BR><BR>This powerful image of a Lincoln with head bowed, wearied by four years of bitter conflict, is one of the most famous and finest of Lincoln sculptures. One can sense Lincoln's exhaustion as he slumps to sit on a bench to rest. It measures 20.875 x 25.75 x 14.75", and particularly in this elegant silver, it has a truly arresting presence. We can find no record of any examples from this edition having reached the auction marketplace. Accordingly, our estimated value is a wide range, and by necessity purely speculative.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Large Collectibles (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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