Quittenbaum Kunstauktionen schedules Oct. 10 Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Art & Antiques auction
Sept. 13, 2005
MUNICH, Germany – Leading European auction house Quittenbaum’s will hold a special sale of Art Nouveau, Art Deco and other fine art and antiques on Oct. 10, with real-time Internet bidding provided by LiveAuctioneers.com. The auction features several small but select collections of great interest in today’s market, including cutlery by renowned designers and architects.
Of particular note is an Archibald Knox silver serving spoon, which is decorated with colored enamel Celtic knot motifs and was made for the coronation of Edward VII in 1901. The 80-odd pieces of cutlery also includes a small circa 1907 spoon from Josef Hoffmann’s 'Round Model' series, a 1904 Peter Behrens spoon and a 1903 Henry van de Velde knife and fork.
A collection of valuable German porcelain figures is sure to inspire strong bidding among collectors, who would appreciate the many early forms. There are three figures of children by Konrad Hentschel for Meißen in the selection of more than 60 items. Also included are Josef Wackerle’s 1906 Lady with Muff, his 1925 Scnitterin and a figure from Amberg’s wedding procession: Woman with Peacock. Numerous works by Rosenthal and the Schwarzburg Workshops also will be sold.
The auction also features the works of French and Bohemian glass manufacturers. Particularly impressive is a table lamp from the workshops of Emile Gallé, created in the 1920s with the typical Japonaise form and decoration. Its decoration of blooming morning glories etched in red, violet and blue tones shines with a gentle, slightly milky light by virtue of an additional thin layer of opalescent glass. The art glass grouping represents a cross section that shows the stylistic development of the large Lorraine manufacturers Daum and Gallé, from Historicism through Art Deco. It extends from 1880s Gallé pieces with cold technique enamel decoration to a 1900 vase with orchid flowers completely decorated in high relief and featuring fine patination and foil inclusions. Works by the Daum brothers go back to the 1920s, when they executed their designs in thickly walled glass with deeply etched geometric decoration. Nine works from the Schneider manufactory and several vases by René Lalique, Muller Frères and Sabino also date from this period.
The decoration on the 'Leonidas' Lötz vase dating from 1904 undoubtedly owes its origins to the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris, where Tiffany displayed works such as his 'Cypriote' vase of 1899, which is catalogued in the sale. Another Tiffany design, the Pond Lily table lamp from 1904 rounds out the group.
Following the great successes in the spring with French ceramics from the Heuser collection, a number of important vases will again come under the hammer. Chiefly from the Art Nouveau period, examples are a Zsolnay vase with a colorful eosin glaze, a vase by Pierre Perret with relief luster decoration and a large Max Laeuger cachepot.
Before around 100 paintings and prints go under the hammer, an extensive collection of about 50 sculptures will go on sale. The offer will be led by Le Jeu de l'Echarpe, Agathon Léonard’s dancer, whose scarf billowing out above her head serves as a lampshade. This rare execution in bronze carries the foundry mark of Susse Frères, Paris, and is an early cast of the sculpture designed for the salon in 1898. The complete table centerpiece of 15 figures, executed in biscuit porcelain at Sèvres was shown at the 1900 Paris World Exposition. Ferdinand Preiss is represented by his Sunny Boy and Hoop Girl. The Vienna bronzes include pieces ranging from Gustav Gurschner’s Nautilus lamp to the works by Karl Hagenauer.
Among the paintings, a small collection of works by the Munich School stands out. A highlight is Josef Wenglein’s Nymphenburg Canal from 1884. This is followed by Otto Pippel’s 1942 Piano Player and Fritz Halberg-Krauss’ large-format painting Cows at the Watering Place.
View the fully illustrated catalog and bid absentee or live online through www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
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