Sometimes, artists want to hide their true identity
Bronze figures usually are signed by artists, but they sometimes use initials or names that are hard to find in art listings.
“Nam Greb” was an artist who created colorful, cold-painted bronze figures in Austria in the early 19th century. Some of his work was easy to identify. He favored tabletop scenes of Oriental life with figures in Arab garb, market stalls and animals. Some were small lamps. But some figures of men had cloaks that opened to show erotic scenes or women who were naked.
“Nam Greb” was the reverse spelling of Bergman, a wellknown Austrian artist who made conservative figures for his regular customers. Franz Bergman (or Bergmann, 1861-1936) lived in Vienna. In about 1900, he inherited a bronze factory from his father and developed a coldbronze technique that has since been lost.
Tip: Don’t wrap Christmas ornaments in newspaper. The ink may rub off. Don’t store them in plastic bags. Moisture may condense and cause problems.
Current prices
Prices are recorded from across the U.S.
■ Toy, monkey, climbing, pull string, green jacket, yellow vest, box, Lehmann, 8 inches, $90
■ Bookends, Little Journeys, copper, hammered, rectangualar, rounded corners, Roycroft, 1900s, 8 ⅝ x
5 ⅞ inches, pair, $125
■ Rug, wool, pile, abstract flower shapes, bright colors, after Henri Matise, round, 48 inches, $250
■ Document box, wooden, mother-ofpearl inlay, cranes, landscape, flowers, vines, 15 ½ x 11 ¾ inches, $365
■ Buster Brown, toy, seesaw, Tige rides down a ramp, with a ball, clockwork, Germany, 10 inches, $660