FLYING HIGH WITH THE SULTAN OF BRUNEI

Discovered    atop   a bookcase  during  the  current  Little Darwin   massive  cull of  books and ephemera was  a long forgotten   dusty  brass and   wood sculpture  of  a  bird  on  a  perch  , bearing  the  sticker of  Dolbi Cashier  1980.  

A  quick Google  revealed  that  Dolbi  Cashier was the trade / brand name of  Gallery House  Inc.,  Illinois, USA ,  founded in l978 by Ed Shulman,  who created  a  range  of  indivdual pieces  of brass art sculpture and   home furnishings. These  were sold in a  showroom  in the Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, and  posh  department   stores   and   interior  design   centres . 

It is said the  Sultan of Brunei visited the Merchandise Mart and bought furnishings  worth  $1.6 million  for his palace.  

The brass  sculptures , which included  a  variety of birds , a dolphin and an elephant's head ,  made in  Korea  and   Italy,  bore     stickers, which often  lifted  and  were  lost .  Our neglected bird, sticker intact,  is thought to have been bought at  a garage  sale on  Magnetic  Island, before  the  Sultan of  Brunei  could  get  his  hands on  it.