Dr Wilhelm R. Valentiner (acquired directly from the artist)
A gift from the above to the present owner

David Sylvester (ed.), Henry Moore, Complete Sculpture 1921-48, London, 1957, vol. I, no. 253, catalogued p. 16 

There is a tiny indentation to the far right of the topside of the sculpture. Apart from some light surface dirt, this work is in very good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

W. R. Valentiner (1880-1958) was an art historian and museum director who worked at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Detroit Institute, the Los Angeles County Museum and the North Carolina Museum in Raleigh. While at the Detroit Institute he commissioned Diego Rivera to paint a major mural cycle in the museum, which is today the most important work by the artist in the Uni♌ted States. Valentiner joined the November Group while in Germany in 1919 which put him in contact with a number of German artists including Karl Schmidt-Rottluff and Georg Kolbe. Valentiner would later promote these artists in the United States, and mounted the first exhibition devoted to Ernst Lugwig Kirchner in America in 1958.

James B. Byrnes was the first curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (1946-1952). He later directed the♑ Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center and the Isaac Delgado Museum of Art in New Orleans. While at LACMA he purchased the museum's first Jackson Pollack and Josef Albers paintings that formed the core of LACMA's contemporary collection. Byrnes was also part of the circle of friends surrounding Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp in Los Angeles from the 194ﷺ0s until their deaths.