1950s Vintage MCM Jere-Style Brutalist Cattail Wall Hanging Brass Sculpture

This was such a cool find!!!! Stopped at a estate/barn sale, which are my personal favorite to haunt and found this amazing piece of sculpture. I am attributing it to C. Jere. Sculpture by Curtis Jere, signed "C. Jer�", 1967. C. Jer� ( or Curtis Jere) is a metalwork company of wall sculptures and household accessories. C. Jer� works are made and marketed by the corporation Artisan House. Curtis Jere is a compound nom de plume of artists Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels. The two founders combined pieces of their own names to create the C. Jer� signature. Modernism magazine interviewed Jerry Fels shortly before his death in October 2008. According to the resulting article in the Spring 2007 issue of Modernism magazine page 116, the company was founded in 1963 by Fels and his brother-in-law Curtis (Kurt) Freiler. Freiler was the production chief and Fels was head of design. Their goal was to produce "gallery-quality art for the masses". Prior to the establishment of Artisan House, the partners built a costume jewelry business, selling work under the names Renoir and Matisse, which employed around 300 people at one point.[1] Kurt and Jerry sold Artisan House in 1972. Kurt Freiler died July 22, 2013 at the age of 103.[2] Sold and resold, the company still produces metal sculptures including reintroductions of popular mid-century modern designs. Artisan House sculptures are no longer made in California. Production went overseas to China in 2003. Writer Mitchell Owens wrote a two-page article on the history of C. Jer� for the November 2010 issue of Elle Decor. In it he states that "Today those pieces are attracting the admiration of leading dealers in vintage chic". He goes on to say that after launching in 1964 Jere sculptures were "distributed by Raymor, a cutting edge studio in New York City, and retailed at Gump's in San Francisco and other high quality emporiums". He also reported that "Under Freiler's meticulous direction, the workers - a number of whom were minorities or handicapped - sheared, crimped, torched, and welded brass, copper, and other metals before coating them with luminous patinas."[3] C. Jer� works range from representational to highly abstract. Some of the older techniques, such as enameling, using resin, and the bronzes, haven't been used in decades. This piece is large and in good vintage condition. I have compared it to like pieces (actually was only able to find one other example!!) and there are some condition issues. There are three leaves missing from the bottom of pieces. See pictures for rings used to attachment. There are some leaves bent, which I'm not sure were in the original design. It is my store policy to never clean or adjust any piece. I leave that decision up to the buyer. The pieces measures 56.5" tall x 37" wide. It is a formidable wall sculpture. Great for those who love Brutalist, Nature or MCM style. less