Jim Ponter The Wrangler

"THE WRANGLER" BY JIM PONTER - FINE PEWTER LIMITED EDITION SCULPTURE, NUMBERED 1224/4500, THE WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM 1979 - SIGNED IN THE CASTING The companion piece to the Jim Ponter "Gunfighter" offered in lot 392, and every bit as good. A limited edition fine pewter sculpture titled "THE WRANGLER" by the American western sculptor Jim Ponter, modeled as a working cowboy standing beside his saddle at a cold camp - long batwing chaps, boots, gun belt, vest and jacket, neckerchief, wide-brimmed hat, a rolled bedroll or slicker tucked under his right arm, his left hand resting on the horn of a tooled stock saddle with a coiled rope hung from it, and a coffee pot and tin cup set among the rocks of a burned-out fire at his feet. The detail work is exceptional: hand-tooled floral carving on the saddle skirt and fenders, individually modeled latigo straps and buckles, a twisted-wire lariat coiled and hanging free of the casting, chap fringe and leg conchos, and a stick-and-stone campfire with the coffee pot standing in the coals. The underside carries a molded plaque reading THE WRANGLER / by / Jim Ponter / FINE PEWTER / THE WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM 1979 / 1224/4500, and the top of the base is signed in the casting Jim Ponter within a raised cartouche. It stands approximately 10.5 inches tall per the tape-measure photograph. Condition is very good with no damage found - no chips, bends, breaks, or repairs, the free-standing lariat coil intact, only light tarnish and darkening in the recesses along with normal shelf handling marks. Four dark felt pads are applied to the underside. The original box and certificate of authenticity are NOT present and are not included. Sold as one sculpture. Description Form - cast fine pewter figural sculpture on an integral irregular, naturalistically modeled rock-and-ground base. The figure is a standing wrangler, weight on his right leg, head turned sharply to his right as if watching something off in the distance. Modeled detail includes a creased wide-brimmed hat with a shaped crown, curly hair below the hatband, a lean weathered face with a heavy mustache, a knotted neckerchief with the ends hanging loose, a buttoned vest under an open waist-length jacket with turned cuffs, a wide belt with a round buckle, a holstered pistol at the right hip, full-length batwing chaps with buckle straps and hanging conchos or fringe ties down the legs, and heeled boots. He carries a tightly rolled bedroll or slicker under the right arm, cinched with a strap. Saddle group - a complete western stock saddle propped at his left side, modeled with a tooled and carved swell and skirt, a floral-carved rosette on the fender, a stirrup and stirrup leather hanging free below, a rear cinch ring and latigo, and a horn that the wrangler's left hand rests on. A coiled twisted-wire lariat is looped over the saddle and hangs completely free of the body of the casting - this is the single most delicate element on the piece. Campfire group - set into the rocks at the right front of the base: a tall lidded camp coffee pot with a spout and strap handle standing in a bed of modeled sticks and embers, alongside a tin cup on its side and a second smaller vessel, all ringed by individually modeled stones. Marks - incised in script into a raised oval cartouche on the top rear surface of the base: Jim Ponter. Molded into a recessed rectangular plaque on the underside of the base: THE WRANGLER / by / Jim Ponter / FINE PEWTER / THE WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM 1979 / 1224/4500. The number 1224 of 4500 is the individual edition number of this casting. No city or state appears with the museum name, and no foundry or producer name is molded into the piece, so none is claimed. Size - approximately 10.5 inches tall overall per the vertical tape-measure photograph, with a base approximately 6.5 to 7 inches at the widest point and roughly 4.5 to 5 inches front to back. In the vertical shot the tape stands upright on the shelf beside the piece rather than being held against it, and in the base shot the tape lies loose across the underside instead of being hooked on an edge, so all of these figures are close estimates only. Bidders should verify all dimensions from the photographs. The piece was not weighed and no weight is given; a pewter casting this size has substantial heft. Underside - the recessed maker's plaque is crisp and fully legible including the edition number, and four round dark maroon felt pads have been applied around the perimeter - an owner addition, not factory, and removable by the buyer if wanted. The interior of the base is hollow, with the cast-in mounting bosses for the figure's feet, the saddle, and the campfire group visible. Photographed on a dark oak table and shelf against a white wall. Nothing else appears in these frames; the single pewter sculpture pictured is the entire lot. The Milwaukee tape measure is a photographic reference only and is NOT included. Attribution note This series is u