Hand carved marble owl sculpture by Frank McGuire out of Taos NM.
Marble owl sculpture by Frank McGuire. Executed from a single block of white marble sitting on original shaped wood plinth. Came from my parent's Palm Springs estate - it lived on a ranch in Somis before they moved to Palm Springs about 20 years ago. They purchased it New Mexico, I assume from Taos where the artist is from. My father recalls going to the artist's studio up in the mountains, he can't recall exactly where but I am assuming it is a studio McGuire worked. No original receipts but he believes the original purchase price was $7K and likely purchased it in the early 1990s. It is incredibly heavy, over 100 pounds. Signed McGuire to the stone (see photo). The condition seems to be great - I have video I can also send over. The base is original but is somewhat dried out due to the outdoor dry air. Was placed under an awning but was kept outdoors and didn't have any rain or anything on it.
19" H x 17" W x 20" D
Inherited
Yes
Hello, this item is a hand carved marble owl sculpture signed “McGuire,” attributed to the American sculptor Frank McGuire of Taos, New Mexico. The sculpture is carved from a single block of white marble and depicts a stylized owl with simplified facial features and textured body surface, a style often associated with Southwestern studio sculpture produced in New Mexico during the late twentieth century. Taos has long been an active artistic community known for stone carving and regional wildlife themed sculpture, and artists working there frequently produced small edition or unique marble carvings inspired by desert fauna such as owls, eagles, and bears. The carving technique visible in the piece combines smooth polished areas around the face with rougher textured surfaces on the body, a common aesthetic approach used by stone sculptors to create visual contrast while retaining the natural character of the marble.
Based on the signature visible on the underside and the stylistic characteristics, the work appears consistent with a studio sculpture produced by a regional Southwestern artist in the late twentieth century. Sculptures of this size, approximately 19 inches high and weighing over 100 pounds, represent significant hand carving labor and were often sold directly through artist studios or regional galleries in places such as Taos or Santa Fe. Comparable marble wildlife sculptures by regional American stone carvers typically sell in the secondary market between $1,200 and $3,000 USD depending on condition, provenance, and the artist’s market visibility. Considering the size, material, and apparent condition of the example shown, a reasonable current fair market value would likely fall in the range of $1,500 to $2,500 USD.
