Two cats

[Duer 157099]

So clearly one of these two cats is a knock-off of the other, right? What are the chances that they are by the same artist? And do you think the one on the left is brass or just patinated iron? I know it's very hard to tell anything from these photos, but at the moment, that's all I have to go on.

[zabet]

1. Here is one missing its base...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Egyptain-Cast-Iron-Bastet-Cat_W0QQitemZ320263810746QQihZ011QQcategoryZ10911QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Duer 157099]

2. Good find, looks very primative

I didn't even think to use egyptian as a key word, great thinking! - see that's why I post here, so many of you can come up with differnt ways to search that I would never think of.

[Duer 157099]

3. Now I know what's so peculiar about these images

They suggest that cats can be servants. LOL, now that's a good laugh isn't it??

It's completely incongruous to have a cat patiently holding a serving vessel.

Now if that were a dog, totally acceptable :D

[Duer 157099]

4. Now I'm seeing them everywhere

http://cgi.ebay.com/WINGED-TABBY-CAT-ANGEL-Cast-Iron-BUTLER-STATUE_W0QQitemZ120239376106QQihZ002QQcategoryZ1338QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

[sufrommich]

5. The green cat looks like a a cat from

the 20s or 30s(maybe Egyptian Revival),the tail and legs have an interesting look .Does it look like it has some age?If not,it could be a reproduction. The black cat looks new to me.Do either have marks?

[Duer 157099]

6. Well this one certainly led me down an interesting path

The one on the right is supposedly a Diego Giacometti, the one on the left, don't know, I haven't seen it in person yet (but I may soon if it's still available).

Turns out there are tons of Giacometti forgeries on the market - seems that one of the workers in his foundry made copies of some of his molds and started producing them after his death.

But I didn't even know that it was representing the Bastet cat, so it's not that the left one is "after" Giacometti, it's probably just another Bastet.

Agree?

edit to add: Oh, and if you're willing to take a chance, the one on the right is on ebay, starting bid around $1000. It could be a great gamble though, since actual original authentic Giacometti's sell in the tens if not hundred of thousands! :wow:

I love finding auctions where the seller says something like "I don't know anything about this" or "I haven't done any research" -- I'm beginning to think that's code for "this is a fake" - but on the other hand, I know that some sellers honestly don't do research, so I always look to see what else they are selling - in one case, the seller had like a dozen pieces of art, all "just found in a little shop" and all of famous (big $$) artists - course he was kind enough to say that since he couldn't authenticate anything, he was selling them as "after the work of ___" which is at least honest, but the pieces still sold, sometimes in the $100 range - for what's probably just a cheap copy. Man, I need to stay away from the fine art stuff, too dangerous!

Here are some ebay links:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=230263329382&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=013

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=120275109976&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=002

edit again to add link to completed item of one of the works of that seller I was mentioning - if this turns out to be a real Giacometti (not Diego, but his brother Alberto), man... If the ad had been more specific about whether it was a litho or an actual pencil drawing, I might have taken the chance

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250259553456&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=015