Sculptor - Franz Ziegler
Title - Chow Chow Dog
Sand Cast Bronze Gorham Co. Founders QAEA Circa 1915 3 1/2" height by 4 3/8" length (9 cm by 11 cm)
Franz F. Ziegler was born in Hamburg, Germany on December 5th 1869, and came to America in 1892 where he first studied under Karl Bitter. In the early 1900s he became a contract artist for the Gorham Company foundry in Providence, Rhode Island until his retirement in 1932. He produced silver designs and bronze sculptures that were sold by Gorham in their store for several years. Little is known about this competent American sculptor.
Chow Chow dogs were very popular in the early 1900s. This portrait of a Chow Chow dog is a very well executed portrait of the breed, showing the thick coat and lion like head. It is signed and dated 1915, and finished the deep brown patina used by Gorham Foundry.
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