Arab Warrior with Rifle

A cold painted bronze figural inkstand with a granite / marble base. A warrior is examining his musket while seated on a divan. A rug, mandolin and ewer are at his feet. He is flanked by two small tables which hold the inkwells. The inkstand is stamped with the Bergmann mark (B in amphora).

Franz Xavier Bergmann (1861–1936) was the owner of a Viennese foundry renowned for producing numerous patinated and cold-painted bronzes. His works included Oriental, erotic, and animal figures, often characterized by whimsical and humorous touches. He signed his creations with either a letter ‘B’ in an urn-shaped cartouche or the reverse spelling ‘Nam Greb.’ Although often described as a sculptor, Bergmann was a foundry owner. His workshops employed anonymous sculptors. The term ‘cold-painted bronze’ refers to pieces cast in Vienna and then decorated with layers of dust paint, a technique whose know-how has been lost.