Art Deco Ceramic Monkey Bookends by Michael Powolny for Wiener Keramik, Austria, 1920s, Set of 2

Details

Description

Monkey 1: Height: 5.7 inches; Width: 5 inches; Depth: 3.1 inches
Monkey 2: Height: 6.5 inches; Width: 5 inches; Depth: … Read more Monkey 1: Height: 5.7 inches; Width: 5 inches; Depth: 3.1 inches
Monkey 2: Height: 6.5 inches; Width: 5 inches; Depth: 3.1 inches

Description of the item:
A stunning, fabulous pair of bookends featuring two adorable little monkeys made of hard ceramic or majolica and decorated with an airbrush. Both are numbered and signed under the base with the famous mark of Michael Powolny's Viennese manufacturer Wiener Keramik. The Michael Powolny mark is clearly visible on the bottom, as published in the book "Michael Powolny Keramik und Glass aus Wien 1900-1950," the only book written about this famous artist and very, very rare. The mark on the flower vase is the third in chronological order and refers to all sculptures from 1919 onwards, as you can see in the last photo where we have reproduced the pages of a book on Powolny relating to the marks used.

Useful information for evaluating the item:
An internet search shows that Michael Powolny has numerous auction results, all of which have achieved very high prices. The eight highest range from €26,000 to just over €50,000, to which auction fees of 25-30% must be added. We have also seen that even very small ceramics achieve significant results ranging from €1,000 to €2,500, plus auction fees, for ceramics measuring 10 cm in height, some even 5.5 cm. This gives an idea of the value of the ceramics created by this famous Austrian artist, undoubtedly one of the most important figures in the European ceramics scene in the first half of the 20th century. We all know how few ceramic sculptures from the early 1900s can achieve such results; only objects made by great artists and designers famous throughout the world can achieve such results.

Final considerations on the item:
These fabulous bookends are undeniably beautiful, extremely rare, made of a very compact ceramic mixture and decorated with stunning airbrush work. Look at the glossy black of the base and the deep burgundy red of the monkeys. We are looking at a pair of extremely rare ceramics, a work of art of great, great value. The sculptures are perfect in every way, without the slightest chip, break, or restored part. If you get the impression of some tiny chips, it is only due to the reflections of light, because, being painted with an airbrush, the surface is extremely compact and smooth, and the thick layer of glaze makes it almost impossible to take photos without reflections.

Information about the artist and/or manufacturer:
Wiener Keramik was founded in 1906 by Michael Powolny and just one year later, in 1907, it was absorbed by the Wiener Werkstatte, founded in 1903 by architect Josef Hoffmann and painter Koloman Moser, which aimed to bring together all the styles of the time, from Viennese Secessionism to English Liberty, from Art Nouveau to Jagenstill and Arts and Crafts. All the greatest European artists worked for this important factory in the early decades of the 1900s, including, of course, Michael Powolny himself, who is considered one of the most important European ceramists of the early decades of the 1900s.


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