This is a very old statue. These were made between 1870 and 1910, and were sold as souvenirs at BUFFALO BILL'S WILD WEST shows of the late 1800s, and turn of the century. Buffalo Bill Cody would tour the country, mostly in the east, and play act at fighting Indians and killing buffalo. These souvenirs, were sold at these shows and this is one of them.
I can assure you that the Buffalo Bill Statue is original. I have been collecting old west items for over 45 years.
There were thousands of the Buffalo Bill statues sold over the time of his career as a showman. I have identified at least 7 different variations.
Like any antique condition is the important factor. This one is the largest in size, I have seen. Most seem to have missing pieces, cracks or have been repainted. As you can see this one has been repainted, but has none of the more disastrous faults. The statue was once painted gold, but most of the paint has worn off, resulting in high lighting the details of the statue. This is very nice with no damage.
This is a very old casting, you can tell by the fact it was cast in many pieces and braised together afterwords and by the steam holes to let out heat in the foundry. This measures over 10 1/4 inches tall and over 9 1/2 inches long, making it the biggest I have observed. It weighs 3.75 pounds. It is in amazingly good condition. The metal has a great patina.
Look closely at the detail. The base is ornate with flowers and ferns. The horse is a prancing steed, two feet off the ground. The rider and saddle is a separate casting from the horse. He wears the long hair and mustaches of that period. He wears a bow tie, a showman's cape and leggings an outfit he was know to wear in the Wild West Show, and a big hat with a feathered plume. Slung across his back is a rifle. He has one outstretched hand in the air and it holds a metal lariat.
