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Large Scale Bronze Sculpture
Authorized Estate Edition #32/35
Dimensions: 65”h x 33”w x 24”d

Limited Edition of 35 Arabic Numbers
15 Patrons’ Collection
10 Collaborators’ Proofs
5 Hors d’Commerce

Enlarged from an original maquette (also available) inspired by Dr. Seuss’s character and created by artist Leo Rijn.

The TURTLE TOWER – MAQUETTE
Bronze Maquette Sculpture – Authorized Estate Edition
Sculpture Dimensions: 18”h x 8” w x 7”d
Base Dimensions: 1.25”h x 8” w x 7”d
Limited Edition of 195 Arabic Numbers | 99 Patrons’ Collection | 55 Collaborators’ Proofs | 5 Hors d’Commerce

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At the time of its creation, Turtle Tower was the most intricate sculpture to date, requiring seven separate turtles to be sculpted and juxtaposed to create the wonderfully wobbly throne from Dr. Seuss’s book, Yertle the Turtle. The richness of the bronze patina gives the artwork strength and depth that mirrors the book’s substantive storyline . . . a worthy king builds his kingdom with the support of, not on the backs of, his loyal subjects.

Yertle the Turtle (1958) has a little-known and somewhat surprising origin. In a 1987 interview Dr. Seuss said: “Yertle was Hitler or Mussolini. Originally, Yertle had a moustache, but I took it off. I thought it was gilding the lily a little bit.” Yertle the Turtle delivers a powerful allegory on dictatorship and expansionism, conveying the final message with these words, “And the turtles, of course . . . all the turtles are free as turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.” Ted deliberately inserted the word “maybe” because he wanted children to really think about it and say to themselves that there’s no “maybe” about it—all creatures should be free!