588: Rare Dalì "Venus à la Giraffe" Bronze - 6/6 Start Price USD 10,000.00 Current Price USD 20,000.00 Time Left - Bid Count 11 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, December 13, 2008 End Time Saturday, December 13, 2008 Location Chicago, IL See more about '588: Rare Dalì "Venus à la Giraffe" Bronze - 6/6' Description Current Lot Rare Dalì "Venus à la Giraffe" Bronze - 6/6 Two details about this sculpture must be mentioned immediately: first, its imposing height of five feet, and second, its engraved limited-edition number of "6/6" on the rectangular plinth.What, one may ask, is the arresting significance of this information? Did not Salvador Dalì produce a couple of thousand bronze sculptures of his "Venus à la Giraffe" in 1973?Indeed he did. However, 99 percent of those sculptures stand a diminutive 22 inches tall and originate from production runs of either 150, 350, 1000 or 1500. As such, a routine Internet search of the title "Venus à la Giraffe" (or "Vénus à la Girafe") reveals numerous examples that have sold at auctions around the world for several thousand dollars apiece.But not this one ... this is no ordinary example. The presented "Venus à la Giraffe" is one of a mere six that were created in its sweepingly grand, five-foot-tall size—nearly three times the height of its more common counterparts. In fact, Mastro Auctions is aware of only one other version of Dalì's sculpture that offers comparable exclusivity and superior size. Cast in bronze or white-patinaed bronze, that towering variety measures nearly eight feet in height, numbers to an edition total of 12 (nine bronze and three white-patinaed bronze), and has consistently drawn auction estimates of more than $100,000 in the three European sales of which Mastro Auctions has knowledge (Etude Tajan, 8/2/2001; Maître Marc-Arther Kohn, 3/28/2002; Christie's Paris, 12/3/2007). In the most recent of those sales, at Christie's Paris, the final sales price was $88,200. Considerable research did not uncover an auction history for the five-foot-tall, six-numbered edition offered here, though it is clear from the track record of the similar, eight-foot-tall sculptures that both of these elite versions are highly desirable due to their exceeding rarity and monumental scope.Drawing inspiration from two of Dalì's most famous early creations—the sculpture "Venus de Milo with Drawers" (1936) and the painting "The Burning Giraffe" (1937)—the chimerical "Venus à la Giraffe" consists of an armless Venus de Milo figure with a thick, python-like neck, her entire body and perched head then covered with the raised pattern of a giraffe's hexagonal spots. The figure's breast area is a small sliding drawer, and her abdomen (or, perhaps, her womb) produces a whimsically outstretched second drawer supported by an upright Y-shaped stand. The back of her neck is fringed with a giraffe's mane, and she also has cloven hooves for feet. Dalì's flamboyant signature situates itself on the top front of the plinth, while one of the sides carries the edition number "6/6" adjacent to the circular stamping for world-renowned artistic foundry "Venturi Arte" of Bologna, Italy. Minor evidence of wear and aging impacts the plinth surface, though the bronze sculpture itself is virtually unaffected and features a lustrous natural patina.In terms of its aesthetics, rarity and, yes, verticality, this substantial sculpture represents an important, museum-worthy work of genius from the great surrealist Salvador Dalì.Please note: Due to the size and/or weight of this lot, the cost of shipping may be substantial. Place a Bid!