Private Collection, Germany (acquired circa 1925)
Private Collection, South Carolina (by descent from the above and sold: Sotheby's, New York, May 6, 2009, lot 200)
Acquired at the above sale

Alfred Kuhn, Die Neuere Plastik, Munich, 1921, no. 63, illustration of another cast p. 118
Theodor Däubler, Iwan Goll & Blaise Cendrars, Archipenko Album, Potsdam, 1921, no. 2, illustration of another cast p. 10
Maurice Raynal, A. Archipenko avec 32 reproductions en phototypie, Rome, 1923, pl. 13
Alexander Archipenko, Archipenko, Fifty Creative Years, 1908-1958, New York, 1960, no. 207, illustration of another cast 
Donald Karshan, ed., Archipenko: International Visionary, Washington, D.C, 1969, illustration of another cast pl. 61
Heinz Fuchs, Sculpture contemporaine, Paris, 1970, illustration of another cast p. 174
Donald Karshan, Archipenko: The Sculpture and Graphic Art, Tübingen, 1974, illustration of another cast p. 30
Katherine Jánsky Michaelsen, Archipenko, A Study of the Early Works, 1908-1920, New York, 1977, no. S87, illustration of another cast, n.p.
Donald Karshan, Archipenko: Sculpture, Drawings and Prints, 1908-1963, Bloomington, Indiana, 1985, no. 35, illustration of another cast p. 88

The sculpture is in very good condition. Its mottled brown patina is in good condition with the exception of some of the edges on the base appearing slightly lighter in color as a result of handling. No significant scratches or abrasions to the patina were observed on the surface, though there is a slightly dull area of patina where a repair has been made near the base. The artist's engraved signature can be found on top of the base behind the figure. A hard fill material is visible inside the base when the sculpture is turned upside down. The sculpture is structurally sound. The above condition report has been prepared by Jackie Wilson of Wilson Conservation, 100 East Fifth Street, Brooklyn NY, 718-852-8894, an independent conservator who is not an employee of Sotheby's.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A wonderful example of Archipenko's early sculpture, Vase Woman I is an elegant and innovative exploration of the human form. Donald Karshan writes of the bronze: "The first of two highly-abstracted and tapering tower figures, Vase is unprecedented for its time. It is not until Brancusi's Golden Bird of 1919 or his Bird in Space of 1923 (see fig. 1) that Brancusi reached such soaring, abstracted proportions. Vase also anticipates later surrealistic works of Max Ernst and Henry Moore and thus is a milestone in the vocabulary of modern sculpture for the early decades of this century. The title and form of the work signify woman as a fertile vessel" (Donald Karshan, op. cit., 1985, p. 79).