Antique Orivit Jugendstil Biscuit Barrel With Under-Plate

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A European covered vessel of pewter in an hexagonal shape with a matching round under-plate, made by Orivit of Cologne … Read more A European covered vessel of pewter in an hexagonal shape with a matching round under-plate, made by Orivit of Cologne in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. The three piece set was likely designed for use as a biscuit barrel or cookie jar. The naturalistic Jugendstil decor consists of blossoms and leaves with trailing stems in relief and a twisted stem or small branch creates a life-like asymmetrical loop handle atop the lid. Jugendstil (Youth Style) was the German iteration of the Art Nouveau style.

All pieces are in very good condition with a natural old patina of dark gray. The pieces show some surface wear, particularly on the base and where the jar meets the under-plate. Assembled, the set measures 7 inches height. The lid is 6 inches diameter and the under-plate is 8 inches diameter. The under-plate is stamped Orivit 2079 [form/model number] on the base.

Wilhelm Ferdinand Hubert Schmitz founded Orivit-Metallwarenfabrik near Cologne, Germany in 1894 and the firm quickly gained attention for their artistic metalware designs. Orivit won a Gold Medal at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900 followed by two Grand Prix awards and a Gold Medal at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. The company was acquired by WMF (Wurttembergische Metalwaren Fabrik) in 1905 and remained in business until 1914. See less