BRONZE GARDEN SCULPTURE SELLS FOR $118,000 AT AUCTION

THE INNOCENT LOOKING BRONZE FIGURE, 4 FOOT TALL AND TURNING GREEN, WAS ALREADY IN THE GARDEN WHEN THE HOME, CONTENTS AND ALL, ON CLEVELAND'S NEAR WEST SIDE NEARLY FOUR DECADES AGO. THERE IT STAYED UNTIL 25.OCTOBER, WHEN THE PIECE WAS SOLD THROUGH A CLEVELAND AUCTION HOUSE. THE LITTLE GARDEN STATUE FETCHED $118,000. THE PIECE, A WOMAN CARRYING A WATER VESSEL, WAS CREATED IN PARIS IN 1931 BY EGYPTIAN SCULPTOR MAHMOUD MOKHTAR, KNOWN AS THE FATHER OF MODERN EGYPTIAN ART FOR WHOM A MUSEUM WAS DEDICATED IN CAIRO. MOKHTAR (1891-1934) STUDIED IN PARIS. HOW THE UNIQUE SCULPTURE ENDED UP HIDDEN IN AN OBSCURE CLEVELAND GARDEN REMAINS A MYSTERY. "IF THESE PIECES COULD ONLY TELL US THEIR STORIES", SAID A SPOKESPERSON FROM THE AUCTION HOUSE. THE SELLER, A CLEVELAND ARTIST WHO ATTENDED THE AUCTION, AND THE BUYER, A COLLECTOR WHO BID BY PHONE, BOTH ASKED TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS. THE AUCTION HOUSE WAS THRILLED WITH THE SALE, WHICH WAS THE MOST EVER PAID AT AUCTION FOR A MOKHTAR BRONZE, AND SAID WHAT'S MORE AMAZING IS THAT THE SELLER ALMOST SETTLED FOR $3,000 FROM AN ANTIQUE DEALER A FEW YEARS AGO, BUT DECIDED NOT TO SELL THEN.