UNCLE SAM ON A BICYCLEJACK MONGILLO(1879-1973) | Uncle Sam on a BicycleJack Mongillo(1879-1973)

the iron tail with painted star decoration

Ricco/Johnson Gallery, New York;
Marvel Collection, White Plains, New York;
Ricco Maresca, New York.

Roger Ricco and Frank Maresca, American Primitive (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1988) p. 123, fig. 164;
Tom Geismar and Harvey Kahn, Spiritually Moving:  A Collection of American Folk Art Sculpture (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1998) cat. no. 76, illus. in color.

Wear, loss, age cracks and oxidation consistent with age, construction and use. Three fan blades are lacking IMPORTANT NOTICE: Purchasers may pay for and pick up their purchases from any of our Americana Week sales taking place from January 17-20, 2019, at our York Avenue headquarters until the close of business on Sunday, January 20, 2019. After this time, all property (sold and unsold) will be transferred to our offsite facility, Crozier Fine Art, One Star Ledger Plaza, 69 Court Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102. Once property has been transferred from our York Avenue location, it will not be available for collection at Crozier Fine Arts until Friday, January 25, 2019. Crozier's hours of operation for collection are from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday. Please note, certain items of property, including but not limited to jewelry, watches, silver and works on panel will remain at 1334 York Avenue. Invoices and statements will indicate your property's location. For more information regarding collection from our offsite facility, please visit sothebys.com/pickup.
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.

Mongillo, an Italian-born immigrant who lived most of his long life in the northwestern New York city of Salamanca, about sixty miles south of Buffalo, created this large whirligig of Uncle Sam on a bike to top his barn. A windmill at the back of the structure kept the figure and wheels in motion. “Early Bird Gets the Worm,” another amusing whirligig attributed to Mongillo, is in the collection of the American Folk Art Museum.