Rheinhold's Ape Bronze (Stevens Point, WI; owned by Axel Schmetzke)

My bronze cast of Hugo Rheinhold's "Philosophizing Ape" was purchased by my late father at an antiques-and-art store in Cologne (Köln), Germany, in 1950. It has no discernible foundry markings--except for the letters "AK" and the number "31 037," which are scratched into the underside of the bronze platform. (In order to get access to these markings, I had to unscrew the sculpture from its marble base.) Two partially overlapping tags attached to the metal base specify the year (1892) and the sculptor's name (Rheinhold).

This particular statuette was on display in the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud, in Cologne (Germany), in the exhibition "Tierschau--Wie Unser Bild vom Tier entstand" (Animal Show--How Our View of Animals Developed), from March 16 to August 5, 2007.

My "Philosophizing Ape" on loan to the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud

Schmetzke Monkey in the Wallraf Richartz Museum & Fondation Corboud