Merman and Dolphin, Ceramic Vase.

Details

Description

Large, substantial, extraordinary -- and probably unique -- this Art Nouveau floor vase depicts a nude merman pulling at the … Read more Large, substantial, extraordinary -- and probably unique -- this Art Nouveau floor vase depicts a nude merman pulling at the whiskers of a playful dolphin, surrounded by the bounty of the sea and surmounted by an oceanic steam vent dripping with seaweed. Like much of the work of Friedrich Goldscheider and Amphora at the time, this piece is laden with exotic and fantastic detail, including seashells and a crab, and the glazes have subtlety and depth that inspires awe. While it's true that ceramic makers in Bohemia and Austria were fascinated by exotic and fantastic themes at the turn of the 20th century, this piece also reflects the long interest among the nobility and the church in creating grottoes with sea creatures and dripping seaweed. Given the matte glazes and aquatic motif, the piece is probably by Goldscheider, but it is not marked. See less