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Fine Furniture and Decorative Arts
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- Sale 436
Live
Apr 20 | 4:59 AM CDT
Live
Sale 436
Estimate$20,000 – $40,000
Property from the Collection of H. Whinery Oppice, Prescott, Arizona Provenance: The Vanderbilt family collection at Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina Note: This superlative example of French neoclassical sculpture was purchased in 1900 by George W. Vanderbilt at Samson in Paris. For several decades it was displayed in the gardens of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, but due to heavy winds and storms, the sculpture was knocked off its pedestal and required frequent restoration. In 1978, after damage resulting from a particularly severe storm, the Biltmore estate sent the sculpture to Pietrasanta, Italy to be copied in white marble. Mr. Oppice, an artist and sculpture restorer, was tasked with reassembling the damaged sculpture and then overseeing reproduction of the sculpture by the studio of Fratelli Giannoni. The white marble figure is now permanently installed in its predecessor's place. After the project was finished, Mr. Oppice asked the Vanderbilt Estate if he could keep the original statue, and was granted permission to do so. The statue remained in the marble carving studio in Italy until 2005 when it was shipped back to the United States. A companion statue titled Bacante y Fauno Nino is on permanent display at the National Museum of Decorative Arts in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Reference: House & Garden, November, 1901 "Biltmore, North Carolina, Designed by Richard M. Hunt and Olmsted Brothers," Pages 1 and 5 The Asheville Citizen-Times, March, 26, 1950, section 7, page 12 Additional photographs and copies of relevant documents are available upon request.
Overall stable, complete condition with some later elements. Scratches, rough surfaces, some areas weathered more heavily than others (displayed outdoors previously). Repairs and restorations with later material to the Bacchante's wrist, both shoulders, elbow, crown, hands, ankle and feet. Similar restorations to the youth's hands, elbow, legs and feet. Additional photos available upon request.
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