Harry Bertoia

Overall in very good condition. With a fitted plywood base, which appears to have been added later to the work. Scattered surface dirt and minor areas of oxidation as seen in the catalogue illustration and back cover photograph. Some of decorative elements which are attached to the horizontal geometric structure with some bending and a few which appear to have been lost, as seen in the catalogue illustration. Without the plywood base, the sculpture is slightly uneven, but is overall stable. In our opinion, the piece would be best mounted into a base for permanent installation.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present screen represents a stylistic continuation of Bertoia's work in the 1950s and early 1960s, and in particular his collaborations with the architect Gordon Bunshaft at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. It bears a close resemblance to several of the models Bertoia created in 1954 for his famed mezzanine screen commissioned by Bunshaft for one of his modernist masterworks, SOM's Manufacturer's Hanover Trust Building in New York.  Bunshaft, who was born in Buffalo in 1909, had a long architectural relationship with his hometown, and in 1961 he designed an addition to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Included in the Gallery's cafeteria was another Bertoia screen, and in 1964 Bunshaft donated a cut-nail Bertoia sculpture to the institution.

From 1969-1971, SOM designed Buffalo's tallest skyscraper, the 40-story One Marine Midland Center, which served as headquarters for Marine Midland Bank. The present screen was mounted as a sculpture in the lobby outside the restaurant on the 38th floor. While the exact details of the commission are unknown, it would appear to be the final chapter in the Bunshaft-Bertoia collaboration in Buffalo. After the bank was acquired by HSBC, the building was re-christened One HSBC Center.