Nam Greb signed Bronze lion (legit or fake?)

Hello!
I have the chance to buy a 'Nam Greb' signed bronze lion but I'm not sure about its authenticity.
I'm attaching some photos, hope you can help me: https://postimg.cc/gallery/kCTYkWC

Thank you

 

Many people will not use links, so I posted one of your photos here.

 

I appreciate it, I tried by multiple means to add thumbnails with no success.
Would you kindly post a photo of the signature too? Thank you.

PS: cute cats!

 

Sure. Just email the photos to yourself as medium and then upload a file here. Just be sure to hit insert as Full Image above all the photos.

 

Namgreb is another title/name/ signature applied by Bergman of Vienna, Austria, specialising in cold painted bronze figures and animals....I think that the Nam greb signature was used mainly on certain risque items (where for instance the dressss comes off to reveal a nude body) or somewhat similar bronzes. Am unable to ascertain authenticity of your line although it appears to be a good casting. (for edification NAMGREB IS BERGMAN spelt backwards)

 

Hi pewter2!

I was able to do some research and if you look at this piece, it looks pretty similar to the one I've posted here.

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/franz-bergman-lion-on-rock-bronze-sculpture-414-c-8dc4cf4b6e

 

Searching has not found a match to your picture, cast with base, and unpainted.

Here's a male and female attached to what looks like a painted stone base ...
https://www.catawiki.com/en/l/25354...n-and-lioness-on-rock-27-kg-bronze-about-1900

Here'a a lion on a rock base ...
https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/franz-bergman-lion-on-rock-bronze-sculpture-414-c-8dc4cf4b6e#

Same pose with tail curled to paw ...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/173904576518

 

Prices seem to bounce around (as usual) and I think according the Ebay Listing Roaring pulled-up NamGreb reissues are still being cast.
How much are they asking ?
Casting seems clean well defined.If NamGreb's most famous for the cold-painted erotica,these pieces will always bring the premier prices.
Just like 2 different original Georgia O'Keefe's-1 of a mule & 1 of a flower,the flower will always bring more than the mule,to put it in modern terms-it's her 'brand' so to speak.

 

Very difficult to know whether it’s an original Bergman, odd there doesn’t seem to be much patination though, and I wonder if there has been a break in the tail.

 

Quote Houseful-'I wonder if there has been a break in the tail'
Good observation House.I took a course in bronze casting & the amount of work after the bronze pour was easily 1/2 of the job-filing,filling,reattaching & patination.This repair could have happened at the foundry or by a restorer.
Larger pieces of bronze (Egypt,Greece,Rome) were almost always cast in different sections,then assembled.
Getty Museum has some Vids re ancient bronze methods/restoration.

 

High res pics of the tail (and balls, lol):

It's an auction so the price is pretty low so far, I'd just like to know an estimated price in order to know how much I can bid.

 

looks legit.....price is up to you !

 

I’ve had some of my work cast in bronze and have prepared my own waxes for the foundry. As you say is a lot of work, but most bronzes leave the foundry with a least some liver of sulphur patination. This one posted looks kind of pale and bare and not well fettled on the tail assembly if it’s not a repaired break. So many fakes out there too.

 

Right you are.

 

Amazing. I had no idea you had this skill set. I need a tail for my miniature Bergmann lion. I have no idea how to go about getting it done. Do you have any idea on how to go about it?

 

I’ve Sculpted commissioned life size dogs for bronze casting, the largest was a flatcoat retriever
You need a sculptor to make up a tail for the lion using an oil clay so it can stick to your bronze so you are sure it looks right. Take the new tail piece off and make a silicone mould of the new tail piece and cast it as a wax. The bronze foundry then does their thing by using the lost wax casting process and they can attach the new bronze tail.
It’s a very time consuming labour intensive expensive business even for such a small thing. Is your piece bronze Kiko, looks more like spelter?

 

Fascinating. I had no idea what is involved. You did a life size of a flatcoat retriever. Wow. I'm so impressed.

 

Thank you.
Any range I should consider? I've seen Nam Greb's going from 100's to 1000's...