Herbert Ward

private collection, United States of America

Overall the condition of the bronze is good with wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. There is some rubbing to the high points including at the proper left elbow and to the head of the statuette. There are some areas of roughness to the patina where the lacquer has slightly flaked. There are minor specks of black and white paint throughout.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Herbert Ward was an English sculptor, writer and anthropologist who spent much of his early life travelling in New Zealand, Australia, Borneo, and the Congo. It was his journey to the Congo Free State in 1884 and his interactions with its peoples which drove Ward to record what he had seen in sculptural form. His works are infused with a genuine sympathy for the people he represents, borne out of his aim to model them using what he described as 'honest observation'. Ward trained in London at the Royal Academy, under Seymour Lucas, and in Paris at the Academie Julian. The plaster for The Idol Maker was first exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1906. Large scale bronze versions are in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., and the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren. A cast of the same dimensions as the present bronze is in the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff (inv. no. A320).