Vintage Vase in Bronze by Julius Theodor Kalmar, 1920s

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Description of the object
a fabulous bronze vase with brown chemical enamel, adorned with a garland of flowers rendered in … Read more Description of the object
a fabulous bronze vase with brown chemical enamel, adorned with a garland of flowers rendered in bas-relief in mercury-gilded bronze; the garland is separate from the vase and has been applied by hand in a spiral pattern. It consists, therefore, of two distinct castings joined together, signed on one side of the base by the artist “j. Kalmar,” (julius theodor kalmar), and dating to the early decades of the 20th century. This artist is best known for creating highly distinctive designer lamps, recognized and appreciated worldwide, such as the famous “k200” table lamp. According to art price, the four highest auction results achieved for this artist’s works are for four large chandeliers, ranging from 5,000 euros to 8,000 euros plus auction fees of 25–30%. Furthermore, on leading art and antiques sales platforms, such as 1stdibs, we found large brass table lamps listed from 4,000 to over 7,000 euros and chandeliers ranging from 6,000 to over 13,000 euros. All of this is meant to give an idea of this artist’s significance. This vase undoubtedly belongs to his early work, before he began specializing in lighting design—a vase dating from around 1920 and crafted in the full art nouveau style.

information about the artist and/or manufacturer
the austrian designer and entrepreneur julius theodor (j.t.) kalmar (1884–1969) was born in 1884 in vienna. The son of julius august kalmar, founder of the eponymous company specializing in chandeliers and other cast-bronze objects, kalmar gained extensive design experience during his formative years. Kalmar attended the birmingham school of art and the university of applied arts in vienna under the viennese secession architect josef hoffmann (1870–1956). Kalmar joined his father’s company in 1906, eventually taking over in 1913. As a strong advocate of the arts & crafts movement, kalmar steered the company away from the eclecticism of the late 19th century. Kalmar’s design aesthetic was characterized by an integration of form and function and a blend of classical tradition and forward-thinking innovation. By the mid-1920s, his designs dominated the influential avant-garde furniture store haus & garten, founded by the renowned architects josef frank (1885–1967) and oskar wlach (1881–1963). In the 1930s, kalmar began collaborating with the austrian werkbund, an association founded by architects, artists, artisans, and manufacturers committed to the principles of modernist design. Using traditional materials such as glass, bronze, and brass, these designs eschewed ornamentation in favor of a purist aesthetic. Throughout his career, kalmar designed lighting fixtures for many renowned architects, including josef frank, oskar wlach, oskar strnad, clemens holzmeister, oswald haerdtl, carl appel, erich boltenstern, and ernst plischke, as well as for major institutions such as the vienna state opera, the burg theater, and the vienna stock exchange. In the last decade of his life, kalmar developed a series of highly popular lighting collections, including tulipan (ca. 1960), ice glass (1960s), and atomic (1969). Kalmar died in 1968, but the company continued under the leadership of his son-in-law, rudols calice. This piece has an attribution mark,
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