THE ITEM
This stunning work of art by Roger Guerin hints at Northwest Pacific tribal symbolism with the abstract bear and jaybird decor. This hand-thrown vase is an outstanding example of his work, featuring unusual spouts and additions to its shape as well as hand-incised decorations offers high artistic value.

This piece is hand-glazed with a rich mix of earth tones and shades of metallic cobalt blue, copper, pale green, deep and light browns. The special technique of salt glazing gives beautifully rich and variegated surface effect, making it even more unique.

CONDITION
Excellent. No chips, cracks or repairs. There is mild wear to the glaze that is consistent with age and use. Please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report. The underside of the vase bears Guerin's inscribed signature 'guerin' and number 'A25.6'.

MEASUREMENTS
Height c. 10.2" / 26 cm tall by c. 8" / 20 cm diameter (across the body's widest point). Rim diameter: c. 3.3" / 8.5 cm. Base diameter: c. 3.9" / 9.8 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 1.8 kg / 1,817 gm.

NOTES
Vase will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured.
Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

Research into this piece has validated its rarity, with only one other piece by Roger Guerin that is also available for sale and although is similar in style, but different in decoration: Roger Guerin Double-Sided Vase

A BIT OF HISTORY
Belgian leading ceramicist Roger Guerin or Guérin (1896-1954 ) was a renowned Belgian studio master ceramicist from the village of Bouffioulx near Charleroi. He started his own workshop in 1918 and specialised in experimental salt-glaze techniques at the height of the Art Deco era.

Guerin's use of flowing glazes was typical in his work and he was true to the history of this region, often working on a type of hard ceramic (fired to over 1250 degrees Celsius), which had been made there since the late Middle Ages. His work won a medal at the Paris Exposition des Arts Décoratifs in 1925 and was exhibited in 1937 as well as internationally.

Guérin pottery was produced in short runs. Each piece is numbered and unique, which makes them extra special to have and enjoy.

THE ITEM
This fantastical, brutalist mid-century piece is from the Chamotte series (also known as the 'Hedgehog') and is by the renowned ceramic artist and designer Gunnar Nylund (b.1904 - d.1997). Nylund became well known for his Chamotte sculptures and designed the series during his time as artistic director at Rörstrand.

Personally, I see a resemblance to the thick shaggy fleece of a Scandinavian mountain sheep in the Chamotte decor. Chamotte is also known as 'firesand', a raw ceramic material which has a high percentage of silica and alumina. It can be produced by firing selected fire clays to high temperatures before grinding and screening to specific particle sizes.

The decor makes this an exceptionally tactile piece, the highly textured, rough surface with the glossily glazed decor is a fabulous juxtaposition and gives an ideal canvas to create varying hues in the Deep Gold glaze. The size of this piece is the largest of the three available sizes, giving it extra presence and making it a statement piece.

CONDITION
Superb. There is light use wear to the interior and the external decor that is commensurable with age. From production, there a minimal hairline crack that is visible at the rim. Please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report. The base bears the inscribed Rörstrand stamp, however, it is faint and only the letters 'Ro' and one crown from the stamp can be seen.

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 8.3" / 21 cm by c. 6.3" / 16 cm in width (across widest point). Base diameter: c. 3.1" / 8 cm. Rim diameter: c. 2.6" / 6.5 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 2.9 kg / 2,883 g

NOTES
Vase will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured.
Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY
Gunnar Nylund (b. 1904 – d.1997) Nylund was a Swedish ceramic designer since the 1930s and is perhaps best known as the artistic director of Rörstrand and was already a well-established ceramic artist in Denmark - first at the Bing & Grøndahl Porcelain factory in Copenhagen and later at Saxbo.

Nylund was resident at Rörstrand from 1931–1955 and for the majority of this time, as artistic director. He became well known for his new matte feldspar glazed stoneware in hare’s fur and crystal glazes and for his stoneware animal sculptures. Over five decades, Nylund crafted some 30 reliefs and sculptures commissioned for public spaces, including Europe’s largest stoneware fountain the “Scanisarius” in Bromölla, Sweden.

Most of Nylund’s original sculptures in stoneware chamotte ended up in museums, as did much of his other work. Sculptures such as the “Lion Head” is found at the National Museum in Stockholm, “Blue Bird” is at the Sèvres museum in Paris, his antelope head “Abyssinian mountain nyala”, is at the Röhsska museet in Gothenburg and the “Hamadryas Baboon” is at the Malmö Museum.

His piece “Bulls head in oxblood” was bought by the Ateneum museum in Helsinki. And a lot of his other work can be found at other museums around the world.

THE ITEM
This fantastical Art Deco stag sculpture is handmade from lampworked glass by master glass sculptor Istvan Komaromy (b.1910 - d.1975). Described as the 'Michelangelo of glass', Komaromy numbered royal families, amongst those who collected and commissioned his work.

Komaromy produced his work by hand without the use of assistants and all of his glass pieces were made using a Bunsen burner to transform solid or tubular coloured, or opaque glass rods into the most delicate shapes. A short clip of his exceptional talent at work can be seen in the archives of the British Pathe website: Istvan Komaromy - Blow Pipe Art! 1935

This elysian piece presents the stag as balancing on a black glass ball, a characteristic common to Komaromy's pieces produced in the 1950s, as is the mounting of the piece to the marble plinth. The arched, sculpted curves and stylised contours bring elegance on many levels, from the form and posture of the overall piece to details such as the delicate eyes, horns and tail. The glass itself is a blend of opaque pale blue, translucent opalescent and hairline swirls of charcoal grey, giving an overall effect of marble. 

Note: accompanying this piece is also an original brochure.

CONDITION
Excellent. No chips, cracks or repairs. Please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report. The underside of the base is lined with protective felt. 

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 9.6" /  24.5 cm tall (from horns to plinth base) x c. 4.9" /  12.5 cm width (from nose to tail). Base measurements: c. 2.9" / 7.5 cm x c. 2.9" / 7.3 cm

A BIT OF HISTORY
Komaromy was born in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1910 but grew up in Budapest studying science at the university. He began making scientific glassware to sell to his fellow students for additional income, which led him to experiment with creating artistic Art Deco pieces. Komaromy showed some of his glass pieces to his University professor, who was so impressed that he persuaded Istvan to give up his scientific studies and become a glass artist. He arranged sponsorship so that Komaromy could travel to major exhibitions around Europe, at which the young glass artist was successful in winning a number of gold and silver medals (the estimate is as many as 16).

By 1935 he was visiting Britain as a celebrity artist, giving demonstrations all over the country including venues specialising in high-quality glassware, such as Harrods in London. He was featured on British Pathe News that year, making a beautiful glass figurine - a 'dancer' - and also a statue of the cameraman filming him. The short film entitled 'Istvan Komaromy - Blow Pipe Art! 1935' can be found in Pathe News archives on their website.

Komaromy would eventually move to London in 1937 and in 1939, he set up his glassworks in Croydon. He numbered several Royal families amongst those who collected and commissioned his work. In 1953 he made a leaping stag and two does on a wooden stand, known as 'The Leader' for Queen Elizabeth's coronation. It is thought that the Queen collected a number of Komaromy's pieces. Although famous for his 'dancers' - which were popular items and sold very well in specialist glass outlets, he also sculpted other classical figures, animals such as does, stags and horses. His range extended to candelabras, goblets and decanters, vases, abstract forms and complicated figure studies. He used over 200 kinds of glass, often manufactured by Pilkington's to his own recipes.

During his lifetime Komaromy frequently featured on television and radio and in art magazines; his work is held in the archives of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and in the Pilkington's Museum of Glass, as well as in the Museum for Applied Arts in Budapest, Hungary.

THE ITEM
This exceptional work of mid-century Modernist design is by the renowned ceramic artist and designer Gunnar Nylund, (b.1904 - d.1997). Nylund became well known for his 'matte feldspar' glazed stoneware, crystal glazes and for his stoneware animal sculptures. This piece was designed during his time as artistic director at Rörstrand.

This sculpture is flowing in form, with beautifully sculpted minimalist contours which quietly highlights its muscular feinting posture. The piece is glazed using the matte black on pale green glaze used in Nylunds 'Caolina' series.

Both the form and the glaze of this piece is a rarely seen combination by Nylund, the silky smooth glazed decor and form makes this a very tactile piece. This sculpture would be well suited to a room with decor inspired by Mid Mod, Modernist, Contemporary or even Industrialist themes.

CONDITION
Excellent. No chips, cracks or repairs - please refer to photos as part of the condition report. The base bears the inscribed Rörstrand stamp that bears the inscription of 'Rorstrand' and Nylund's initials 'GN'.  

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 4.5" / 11.5 cm by c. 7.8" / 20 cm in length (from nose to tail) by c. 3.6" / 9.1 cm in width (across body's widest point). Unpackaged weight: 0.8 kg / 845 g

NOTES
Sculpture will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY
Gunnar Nylund (b. 1904 – d.1997) Nylund was a Swedish ceramic designer since the 1930s and is perhaps best known as the artistic director of Rörstrand and was already a well-established ceramic artist in Denmark - first at the Bing & Grøndahl Porcelain factory in Copenhagen and later at Saxbo.

Nylund was resident at Rörstrand from 1931–1955 and for the majority of this time, as artistic director. He became well known for his new matte feldspar glazed stoneware in hare’s fur and crystal glazes and for his stoneware animal sculptures. Over five decades, Nylund crafted some 30 reliefs and sculptures commissioned for public spaces, including Europe’s largest stoneware fountain the “Scanisarius” in Bromölla, Sweden.

Most of Nylund’s original sculptures in stoneware chamotte ended up in museums, as did much of his other work. Sculptures such as the “Lion Head” is found at the National Museum in Stockholm, “Blue Bird” is at the Sèvres museum in Paris, his antelope head “Abyssinian mountain nyala”, is at the Röhsska museet in Gothenburg and the “Hamadryas Baboon” is at the Malmö Museum.

His piece “Bulls head in oxblood” was bought by the Ateneum museum in Helsinki. And a lot of his other work can be found at other museums around the world.

THE ITEM

This magnificent work of Swedish Mid Century, Modernist design is a floor vase with a rare design by Marian Zawadzki (b. 1912 - d. 1978) professor, artist and ceramist for Tilgmans Keramik of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Zawadzki's experimentation of the Sgraffito technique brought great popularity and appreciation for Tilgman's ceramics and his work became exemplary for the Tilgman's product line. Zawadzki's use of the Sgraffito technique is absolutely a feature in this piece. 

True to the roots of Modernist design, the simple form and striking decor of this vase speaks to an honest expression of the natural earthenware. The texture of the earthenware is very tactile, with sections left deliberately coarse and unglazed. The unglazed sections create confident contrast against the individually glazed sections of boldly geometric, Sgraffito decor. 

The vase is finished with an interior of gloss glaze that is coloured in a Spearmint green towards the neck and a softer cream towards the base.

CONDITION

Very Good. No cracks or repairs. There are minor, negligible chips on the exterior which are commensurate with the age of the piece and mild use wear on the interior - please refer to photos as part of the condition report.  The underside of the base of the vase is stamped with Tilgman's 'Tilgmans Keramik' and 'Made in Sweden' stamp. The body of the vase is inscribed with Zawadzki's initials 'M.Z.' and dated with '1965'.  

MEASUREMENTS
c. 22.5" / 57 cm tall (from base to rim) x 7.1" / 18 cm base diameter. Diameter: c. 9" / 23 cm (across widest point. Rim diameter: c. 4.7" / 12 cm. Unpackaged weight: 8 kg. 

NOTES
Vase will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured.
Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY

Marian Zawadzki (b. 1912 - d. 1978) 

Antoni Marian Zawadzki was an associate professor, artist and ceramist, was born in Poland in 1912 who, as a refugee, moved to Gothenburg in Sweden in 1953. In Gothenburg he worked as an artistic director at Tilgmans Keramik.  Zawadzki's best known for his richly decorated objects in the Sgraffito technique.

His works included lamp bases, vases, bowls, urns and wall plates and he would receive commissions for public, municipal and private buildings. Zawadzki would leave Tilgman's Ceramics in 1970, moving to Vallda outside Kungsbacka where he opened his own workshop, Vallda Keramik. The production in his own workshop is very similar to his work at Tilgmans.