Dramatic Pair of French Majolica Urns With Stork and Wolf's Head Handles

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Description

Dramatic Pair of French Majolica Urns with Stork and Wolf's Head Handles

This striking pair of French large majolica flower … Read more Dramatic Pair of French Majolica Urns with Stork and Wolf's Head Handles

This striking pair of French large majolica flower urns, dating from circa 1870-1890, exemplifies the vibrant and detailed artistry of the late 19th-century majolica revival.

Each urn is of an unusual quadrafoil shape, raised dramatically on four leaf-shaped feet. The deep cobalt blue ground provides a rich contrast for the highly modeled and colorful decoration. The design features flowering bamboo-like stems molded across the body in shades of green and brown. A highlight of the decoration is the large white stork dramatically flying across one side of each urn, a motif often symbolizing good fortune or travel.

The imposing scale of the urns and their unusual form—reminiscent of a garden seat without its top—make them a powerful decorative statement. Further enhancing their unique character are the figural handles on each side, boldly molded in the form of a wolf's head. The intense color palette, dramatic scale, and high-relief subject matter are characteristic of the period's taste for bold, theatrical decoration.

Dimensions: 22 3/4 inches high x 19 inches wide x 14 inches deep (57.79 cm high x 48.26 cm wide x 35.56 cm deep).

Condition: Good antique condition, with minimal invisible repairs to frits on the very bottom of the feet and a flake inside one lip.

Historical Context: French Majolica (Circa 1870-1890)
The pair of urns belongs to the resurgence of majolica—earthenware characterized by its rich colored, opaque tin-glaze—that flourished across Europe and America during the mid-to-late 19th century. This period saw majolica transform from a utilitarian or rustic ware into a highly decorative art form, often favored for lavish interior display.

Aesthetic Movement and Influence: These urns were produced during the height of the Victorian and Aesthetic Movements. They align with a taste for exotic and naturalistic motifs, as evidenced by the lush, bamboo-like foliage and the majestic stork. The Japonisme influence, popular in French decorative arts following the opening of trade with Japan, often manifested in asymmetrical, nature-based designs and the use of bold, often dark, background colors like the striking cobalt blue.

French Production: While the term 'majolica' is often associated with English potteries like Minton, French factories—notably Sèvres (though often in a more classical style) and smaller commercial operations like Onnaing or Sarreguemines—were prolific in producing high-quality, high-relief decorative majolica. The large scale and theatrical style of these urns suggest they were intended as prestige objects, likely to adorn the grand drawing rooms or winter gardens of affluent French or European homes, where they would hold cut flowers or small shrubs. The incorporation of bold, animalistic details like the wolf's head handles further marks them as distinctive pieces of elaborate 19th-century design.

(Ref: NY10657-iurr) See less