Auction Name: 2025 December 2 Property of a Distinguished Southern California Collector Nature & Science Signature® Auction

Lot Number: 72177

Shortcut to Lot: HA.com/8237*72177

Agate Falcon Carving on Copper Base
Artist: Gerd Dreher
Idar-Oberstein, Germany

Indisputably a virtuoso work of lapidary art, this masterful falcon exemplifies the extraordinary skill and naturalist sensitivity of Gerd Dreher, one of the most celebrated gemstone carvers of the modern era. Dreher's acute observation of avian form and movement is manifest in this superbly detailed sculpture, executed from an intricate combination of fine Agates and Quartz varieties. The falcon's mottled plumage is rendered through a seamless blending of multicolored Agates, the artist's deft use of texture and translucency perfectly evoking the complexity of real feathers. The wing edges and tail feathers, carved from highly transparent banded Agate inset into speckled Agate, create a dynamic interplay of light and tone. More solid-hued Agates define the throat, head, and beak, while the back feathers are sculpted from Hawk's-Eye Quartz-a rare blue variety of Tiger's-Eye Quartz from South Africa-whose chatoyant shimmer brings a lifelike vitality to the composition.

With wings outstretched, the falcon appears to alight upon a substantial natural Copper specimen bearing traces of Quartz, a clever nod to the bird's mountainous habitat. The sculpture is mounted on a circular Rock Crystal Quartz base, providing clarity and balance to the overall composition. Signed with the artist's monogram "GD", the work measures 12 inches (30.5 cm) in height.
Overall Measurements: 14.00 x 9.00 x 9.00 inches (35.56 x 22.86 x 22.86 cm)

Provenance: Property of a Distinguished Southern California Collector, Ex. Gerard L. Cafesjian Collection

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