Bronze-Mounted Rhinoceros Foot Humidor. By James L. Clark Studio.

Length of bronze rhino finial: 3 ¼”. Height overall: 10 ½ in. Sold for $4,800

Note: James Lippitt Clark (1883 –1957) was an animal sculptor and explorer who completed his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design. While working as a designer for the Gorham Silver Company, where many of his earliest bronzes had been cast, he was asked to mount specimens in the American Museum of Natural History in New York. He later became Director of Taxidermy remaining there until his retirement in 1949. A big game hunter himself, he was responsible for the majority of famous game dioramas at the Museum, the backgrounds for some of which were painted by noted artists such as Carl Rungius. A keen observer of wildlife, not merely content to visit zoos as most of his artist contemporaries, he visited the West in 1906, Europe and Africa in 1908 and he was the co-leader of the McDonnell-Clark Wyoming expedition in 1937 in addition to Asiatic and African expeditions from 1926 to 1948. An author and lecturer on animals he wrote a book entitled “Exploring and Studying Wild Game in America” and he also has his own private taxidermy studio catering to wealthy sportsmen.
In the Victorian tradition of natural curios and trophies mounted as functional household items this taxidermy foot of a rhino is fashioned as a humidor. Fitted with a hammered copper collar, lining and cover, it contains a removable glass liner for storage of cigars and a copper lid to the interior. The bronze finial designed in the form of a rhino is signed "J.L. CLARK" and "COPYRIGHT 13". (Copyright © 2002-2008 Bonhams 1793 Ltd., Images and Text All Rights Reserved)

Bonhams. Natural History, 22 Jun 2008. 220 San Bruno Street, San Francisco // 7601 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles