Lapis Lazuli Carving of a Duck by Peter Muller

Lapis Lazuli Carving of a Duck by Peter Muller Brazil A naturalistic carving made in the German tradition subject matter of a seated duck, carved from a single, large specimen of jewelry-grade lapis lazuli from Afghanistan with inset Australian yellow Mookite jasper beak and feet and red garnet cabochon eyes. Measuring 8 x 5 x 4 1/2 in Footnotes: Peter Muller Peter Muller was born in 1952 near Lucerne, Switzerland. Following professional training in international banking he commenced a brilliant career in that field only to later be lured by the appeal of international travel—which lead him to live in Brazil in 1979. A chance encounter with a Brazilian carver of birds in 1984 inspired him to change his life's work. He established a workshop in semi-precious stone carvings that same year. His works are rich in unexpected beauty and surprising details. Naturally, no two carvings are identical. They are life-like reproductions of birds from the tropics and the Northern Hemisphere, hand-fabricated from natural colored precious stones from all over the world. The bases are hand-picked by Peter from several tons of rough, including Brazilian tourmalines and quartzes from eleven different mines, as well as many other rare minerals from his adopted country. Familiar with the work of Idar-Oberstein carvers since his childhood, Peter has made annual trips there over the last thirty years to learn new carving techniques. These skills are then imparted to his crew of carvers in Brazil, now considered to be the best trained craftsmen in that country. Peter Müller's lapidary work has been the subject of a number of articles including: Rock and Gem Magazine, May 2000 and Wildlife Art Magazine, March/April 2002. Lot to be sold without reserve. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing