Preliminary identification
Photo reference
1 uploaded photo
Overview
This is a fascinating piece of contemporary assemblage art, constructed on a heavy oak base using salvaged historical components. It features a vintage postal scale face, a coiled clock spring, a weathered wooden ruler, a mechanical counter, and a central cast-iron latch holding a taxidermy animal claw.
Story
Created by a modern artist, this piece breathes new life into forgotten industrial relics. The background text mentions a biography of Swiss reformer Huldrych Zwingli published in 1884, dating the paper source. By pairing cold, precise mathematical scales with a wild, taxidermied animal claw, the artist explores the tension between human order and nature.
Maker / Origin
While the individual components—like the postal scale and the mechanical counter—were manufactured by late 19th and early 20th-century industrial firms, the final work is by an anonymous modern assemblage artist. Assemblage art traces its roots back to Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp, who challenged traditional art by elevating found objects into gallery-worthy sculptures.
Condition & Value
The piece is intentionally distressed, utilizing rusted iron, weathered wood, and yellowed, torn paper. The taxidermy claw appears intact but should be kept out of direct sunlight and high humidity to prevent deterioration. The deliberate wear is part of the artistic intent and does not negatively impact its value.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.