Journal
How bronze and wood sculpture is appraised
A cast is not valued like a carving. Foundry marks, edition, and outdoor condition have to be on the page before the market is discussed.
Sculpture appraisals fail when the inventory is vague. Bronze figure, about three feet, is not a description that can be researched.
Bronze
The foundry if marked, any edition number, and whether the object is a lifetime cast, a posthumous authorized cast, or a later cast. Those categories do not share a market. A handsome surface does not turn a late cast into an early one.
Wood
Species if it can be seen, joins, insect damage, splits, and whether a work made for indoors has lived outside. Bases are part of the object when they were made as part of the object.
Measurement and market
The market for an artist sculpture is often thinner than the market for that artist paintings. Canvas prices are not scaled by instinct. Garden pieces raise installation questions the appraisal is not hired to solve.