1967 Worcester Art Museum Souvenir-Alvastone Replica of a Simon Moselsio Chimpanzee-New York

This item is a replica statue of a 1930s sculpture by Russian American artist Simon Moselsio…the Chimpanzee.
The original sculpture was on display at the Worcester Art Museum (WAM) in Massachusetts during the 20th century, in which at that time, replicas of Moselsio’s works were sold in the WAM's gift shop.
This piece was manufactured by Alva Museum Replicas, Inc. (New York) out of their infamous casting invention Alvastone.

Alva Museum Replicas, Inc. (or Alva Sudios) was founded in 1948 by Austrian immigrant Alfred Wolkenberg in Long Island City, New York. Alva Museum Replicas, Inc. was officially registered as a corporate entity and subsidiary under the New York Graphic Society (NYGS) during the 1950s.
It was during then that Alva became renowned for collaborating with major institutions, -such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Louvre, and the Smithsonian-to create high-quality, copyrighted reproductions of historical sculptures.
Wolkenberg created a heavy and durable resin and plaster blend that simulated the appearance of bronze, cast iron, and marble…he named it Alvastone.
Alvastone casted the most accurate replicas of the original art pieces being displayed all over the world in renowned museums.
Alva produced these official licensed museum replicas by creating molds directly from imprints of the original artworks first. Then, the studio would pour a liquid mixture of crushed natural stone, resins, and mineral compounds (Alvastone) into the molds to capture the fine details of the originals. These replicas were then sold in the museum gift shops. Because of their popularity, Alva Museum Replicas were also sold in Wolkenberg’s catalog for Alva Studios which also featured the company’s jewelry collection.
NYGS along with Alva Studios was acquired by Time Inc. in 1966.
Time, Inc. dissolved the Alva Museum Replicas division before selling NYGS in 1981…making the famous Alvastone museum souvenirs a memory.

ABOUT THE SCULPTURE (Original Artist)
Simon Moselsio (1890-1963) was a Russian American sculptor, painter, and educator. Born in Kiev, he studied in Berlin and immigrated to New York in 1924 to escape antisemitism. He taught at Bennington College in Vermont for 27 years and created acclaimed works ranging from abstact and minimalist pieces, to a statue of Mahatma Gandhi.
His animal sculptures were often casted or carved in bronze, wood, or stone. Moselsio’s wildlife collection of animal sculptures featured simplified, fluid lines that brought a certain realism during the Modernist Era. Several of his dog, birds, insects, and wildlife originals were loaned by collectors to several museums during the 20th century such as the Scottish Terrier (Scottie) in 1926, The Wirehaired Terrier (1928), Airedale Terrier (1930), and Spaniel (1931).
The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York actually has the Cicada (1927) for displaying during their historical annual and biennial exhibitions.
Exhibitions of Simon Moselsio's Wildlife Art (including Chimps ,1931) were prominently displayed at the Worcester Art Museum during the mid-to-late 1920s as well as throughout the 20th century.
During his active years, Moselsio frequently loaned his original carved-wood and bronze sculptures to traveling institutional shows, making WAM a key stop to view his work in the Northeast alongside peers of the American modernist movement.

ABOUT THE MUSEUM (Giftshop)
The Worcester Art Museum (WAM) was founded in 1896 and is a celebrated institution spanning 51 centuries of global art. It is known for its encyclopedic, 40,000-object collection that notably features the second-largest arms and armor collection in the Americas. WAM was the first museum in the world to buy works by Claude Monet and Paul Gauguin. It is also highly regarded for its deep holdings in Asian and ancient arts.
The museum opened to the public in 1898 at 55 Salisbury St in Worcester, Massachusetts, and to this day the museum has welcomed visitors from dozens of countries while drawing thousands of visitors annually.

Great condition
Small defect behind right ear (see photos) barely noticeable from front angle and side angles.
The finish of the Alvastone replicates a rustic metal with verdigris to resemble an aged-iron patina.
Heavy weighing 6 pounds 15 ounces
and measuring 10.75 inches tall with the base measuring 4” X 7.5”.
Tabletop use with felt bottom including the original label.

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