'INDIAN CHIEF' WITH RIFLE

Executed in New York circa 1870.

Fred Giampietro, New Haven, Connecticut

on the right arm at the crook of elbow and upper arm, repair and repainting; on the right hand side in cloak, repair and inpainting; on the left-hand side of feathered headrest the lone portion of feather, repaired and repainted; crack both on the left side and right-side in feathered headdress, which suggests that those portions may have fallen off and been reattached; the face is largely repainted; the tip of the nose has probably been broken off, reattached, and repainted; normal shrinkage, cracks, and scattered inpainting throughout, and a layer of varnish which has crazed; otherwise an excellent specimen.
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.

Like many of the celebrated cigar store Indian carvers working in nineteenth-century New York, John L. Cromwell (1805-1873) began his career as a shipcarver. Born in Massachusetts, Cromwell moved to New York in 1831, where he set up his shop at 179 Cherry Street. For approximately twenty years, he ran a successful business filling orders for figureheads and other carvings to adorn ships. He employed many apprentices, including Thomas V. Brooks (1828-1895), who went on to establish his own shop and is regarded as one of the most talented carvers in his own right. With the decline of maritime industry, Cromwell turned to carving shop figures in the 1850s, with cigar store Indians being the predominant figures he produced.