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The House
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300 20th Street · Sacramento
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Live Auction
LUXURY ASSET AUCTION: Featuring Choice Property from the Collection of Al and Carol Cali
Thu, Jan 29, 2026 02:00PM EST
Lot 133
Carl Kauba (Austrian, 1865–1922), “Metamorphosis” Mechanical Bronze Butterfly Girl, ca. 1900
Estimate: $2,500 - $5,000
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
Patinated and gilt bronze figure of a nude maiden concealed within a butterfly, the enamel piqué-à-jour wings rising when released by a hidden mechanism. The maiden emerges from a naturalistic floral knoll, set upon a variegated marble base. This rare mechanical bronze embodies the imaginative fusion of Art Nouveau design and Viennese craftsmanship for which Kauba is best known.
Unsigned (some variants known without signature)
Size: 8 √ó 8¬Ω √ó 10¬Ω in. overall
Provenance: Chuck Morgenstern of Woodchuck Antiques, San Francisco, CA; to Al and Carol Cali
Pickup & Shipping: Free Sacramento pickup. Shipping via FedEx within the continental U.S. available for $100 plus 1.5% insurance. Combined lot shipping available.
Good overall; mechanism intact; enamel wings with light age wear, minor surface losses; marble base with small edge chips.
Condition
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