1920s Art Déco Cream-Glazed Earthenware Frigate Sculpture by Noël Feuerstein for Robj and Manufactured on the Villeroy & Boch Factory, Luxembourg

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1920s Art Déco cream-glazed earthenware frigate sculpture designed by Noël Feuerstein for ROBJ and manufactured on the Villeroy & Boch … Read more 1920s Art Déco cream-glazed earthenware frigate sculpture designed by Noël Feuerstein for ROBJ and manufactured on the Villeroy & Boch factory, Luxembourg

By: Noël Feuerstein, ROBJ, Villeroy & Boch
Material: earthenware, ceramic, enamel
Technique: cast, pressed, glazed, enameled
Dimensions: 10.75 in x 3.5 in x 17.75 in
Date: early 20th century, circa 1928
Style: Art Déco
Place of origin: Luxembourg

Designed in 1928 by Noël Feuerstein for ROBJ and produced on the Villeroy & Boch factory in Luxembourg, La Frégate captures the spirit of Art Déco through its synthesis of movement, symmetry, and stylized form. Conceived during the second Luxembourg design competition, where Feuerstein received top honors for his ship models Le Corsaire and La Frégate, this sculpture stands as a testament to his mastery of translating classical motifs into the language of modern design. The frigate’s sails and hull are reduced to sweeping geometric planes and rhythmic contours, its surface covered in a soft cream glaze that enhances the interplay of light and shadow across the ceramic relief. While the choice of a historical vessel might seem at odds with the era’s fascination for speed and innovation, Feuerstein’s treatment transforms the subject into a study of abstraction and balance, aligning it with the aesthetic ideals of the late 1920s. On the underside of the base, the manufacturer’s mark ROBJ and the model number 407 are impressed.

To date, four examples of this sculpture have been recorded: one in the Simone Hoss-Funck collection, in brown glaze, another at the Musée national d’histoire et d’art (MNHA) in Luxembourg, in black glaze, a third listed on the Drouot auction platform, and the present example. See less