Olszewski Goebel Miniatures ERA

Americana Series

American Bald Eagle

Updated:  March 12, 2013

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Edition Size:  Open

Scale:  1/12th

Materials:  Hand-Painted Bronze

Mark: 661-B

Year of Issue: 1982 and 1985

Issue Price: $45

Measurements:

Trademark:  TMK 2 and TMK 3

HISTORY:  The studio was looking for a possible crossover from the Wildlife Series.  This "Eagle" was chosen because 1982 was the 100th anniversary of the bald eagle as a symbol of the United States.  What could be more American?

The "Eagle" was also chosen because Bob had seen a documentary about eagles.  The scene that was so vivid in his mind was one of the eagle swooping down to catch his prey.

GENERAL:  Take this "Eagle" in your hand, place a pencil or another fine point on a wing pattern, and imagein how it would be to carve those wing patterns in one direction.  However, when you switch to the opposite wing, the carving works against and is contrary to your natural wrist action.  That is the carving problem that Bob experienced.

Also, if the wax were held in his hand, the natural force of carving tended to break off the wing, or the heat from his hand would melt away the pattern already carved.  Since he could not hold this figurine in his hand, he had to design a fixture to support it during carving.

Each wing pattern had to be identical to the other wing pattern, not only on top, but also from underneath.  Then he had to step the wings down so they tapered in thickness from near the body to the tips and from the leading edge to the trailing edge as well as make them both the same length, and still carve deeply enough so that all the detail would cast out.  No wonder he did not want to re carve this figurine.

Talk about detail!  This is the all-time most difficult figurine Bob has ever carved because of the wing patterns.

Notice the smooth but rippled surface of the water from which the salmon is being pulled.

For the first time, Bob engraved his name on his figurine on the water on the back side.

This figurine was permanently retired and withdrawn from production in 1987.  This design will never again be produced by Goebel Miniatures.

SIGNED:  On the bottom of the base.

SPECIAL NOTE:  Retired due to the difficulty reproducing the wing patterns during molding.  In order to solve the problem, a new wax would have had to be carved, so a new production master could be produced.  The studio decided to devote those hours to new figurines instead of re carving.

Source:  Page 78 and 79, The Goebel Miniatures of Robert Olszewski: An Authoritative Reference & Price Guide, Dick Hunt, published in 1989.