Q: We are trying to "downsize" and decided to sell this Art Deco bronze. She has wings on her back, but there's a hairline crack on the base of one wing. The statue is 36 inches high and is very heavy. It has never been washed or polished. We have never found an artist's signature on the bronze–only this H. Gladenbeck & Sohn foundry seal on the side of the base. We would appreciate learning anything you can tell us about this bronze.
A: Hermann Gladenbeck (1827-1918) opened a foundry in Berlin, Germany, in 1851. He took over the city's Royal Foundry in 1857. The foundry moved to nearby Friedrichshagen in 1887 and became Aktien-Gesellschaft in 1888. The words "Aktien-Ges. Vorm. H. Gladenbeck & Sohn" translate as "Aktien Company, formerly H. Gladenbeck & Son." The company made monumental statues as well as smaller figures in bronze. It closed in 1926. So your statue was made between 1888 and 1926. It's worth more than $1,000.
