Strauss & co Staff Picks: Modern and Contemporary Art
Online-Only Auction, 26 September - 3 October 2022
Staff Picks
Lot Estimate
ZAR 10 000 - 15 000
About this Item
South African 1958-
Animal Pyramid
carved and painted wood
height: 36.5cm including base; width: 12cm; depth: 21cm
Notes
Staff Pick:
Wilhelm van Rensburg, Head Curator and Senior Art Specialist: "This charming, small-scale wooden sculpture invariably reminds one of the famous Brothers Grimm fairy tale, The Town Musicians of Bremen first published in 1819, and the equally famous Gerard Marcks bronze animal pyramid sculpture of donkey, dog, cat and rooster in the town of Bremen. The story certainly captures the public imagination, judging from all the screen and play adaptations, the literature, music, art and sculpture, and even video games based on it. Schonfeldt, however, inverts the pyramid, stacking peacock, eagle, lioness and cow on top of one another. Narrative interests seems to give way to heraldic symbolism in this sculpture."