THE ITEM
This exceptional work of French Art Nouveau cameo glass is by one of the most prominent glassworks Daum, based in the city of Nancy (1878 - present). The Daum studio creates their art in crystal and remains as one of the only studios who use the pâte de verre process for art glass and crystal sculptures.

Designed and crafted in the 1900s, the form and glowing ethereal palette of this piece is a rare combination that has made it a feature in the dedicated book "Daum - Maitres Verriers" by Edita Denoel, (Edita S.A. Lausanne, 1980, p. 61). The base colour palette is composed of cool and faintly opalescent pale blue tones, which has been overlaid with the tactile golden-hued Zucchini leaves, stems, flower buds and tendrils in high relief.

CONDITION
Excellent. No chips, cracks or repairs. There is mild wear to the surface that is commensurate with the age of the piece. Please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report. The vase bears the Daum Nancy signature with the Croix de Lorraine mark.

MEASUREMENTS
Height c. 9.8" / 25 cm by c. 3.9" / 10 cm diameter (across widest point). Rim (opening) diameter: c. 2.4" / 6.2 cm. Base diameter: c. 3" / 7.7 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 0.8 kg / 825 gm.

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

A BIT OF HISTORY
Founded in 1878 by Jean Daum, the studio rose to prominence during the Art Nouveau and Art Deco period (1890 - 1910, 1908 - 1935), capturing the attention and imagination of collectors all over the world. Daum would exhibit at Paris International Exhibition in 1889, a pivotal event which marked the birth of the French Art Nouveau movement. With leading artists such as Henri Berge, Almaric Walter, Charles Schneider and Jacques Gruber, the studio would go on to win their first ‘Grand Prix’ in 1900.

The studio continued its ascent to international fame around this time, which further elevated when they began to create their art with pâte-de-verre, a glass-making technique first used over five thousand years ago in the early world. Fueled by international success, the studio would broaden their range to glass art objects and enter into a period of phenomenal development. The studio revolutionised techniques by experimenting with materials such as acids, colour powders, fluorine hydrogen and enamel. Collaboration with leading designers was also a common aspect of Daum's exploration and creativity, working with names such as Louis Majorelle, Eugene Galles, Emile Wirts and Salvador Dali.

Today, Daum is well known for creating pieces in high quality, crystal glass.

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 elegant, whimsical and exceptional sculpture is by celebrated Danish illustrator and glass, silver, ceramics designer Bjorn Wiinblad (b. 1918 - d. 2006). Wiinblad often designed for a number of big names as well as the pottery studios he owned, such as Vaerksted, Nymolle and Det Blaa Hus. The dating and style of this sculpture places it as a handpainted studio work that was crafted at his own Vaerksted [Workshop] studio, which Wiinblad established in 1952 in Copenhagen. Vaerksted pieces by Wiinblad show his graphic skills at their best – where he was able to convey an emotion or feeling with just a few brushstrokes or marks.

Those familiar with Wiinblads illustrative work will be familiar with the exquisite level of detail his imagination goes to. This richness of detail is brought to life across many elements of this sculpture; such as the individually shaped, stylised leaves and flowers resting in the figure's hat, the tiny birds resting on the figure's arms and knees, and the flowing, draped folds of the dress. Further careful attention is evident in intricate handpainted patterns decorating the dress and the care taken even when illustrating eyelashes. 

This piece additionally features golden Kintsugi bonding, following careful repairing and highlighting, the bonding has been predominantly applied to the candleholder extension cup (top section of hat). The Kintsugi technique is modern and has been applied in a tactile manner, a gentle yet striking compliment to the sculpture's tones of red and white.

CONDITION
Excellent. The separate candleholder extension cup (top section of hat) has been carefully repaired using a robust water-resistant and durable golden resin. The resin has also been applied to three minor spots on the body. Please refer to photographs as they form part of the condition report. The underside of the piece bears Wiinblad's signature, dated with '77' and finally, denoted with 'DANMARK'.

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 12.6" / 32 cm tall (from base to tallest point, including hat/candleholder extension) x . 5.5" / 14 cm width (across widest point). Depth: c. 6.3" / 16 cm (from front to back). Unpackaged weight: c. 1.3 kg / 1,345 g

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

A BIT OF HISTORY
Born in 1918 in Copenhagen, Bjorn Wiinblad began his training and path to success in 1935. Wiinblad sought the path to his first passion of art and enrolled in graphic school at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, debuting in 1945 with an extensive exhibition in Palægade, Copenhagen. He met and became firm friends Jacob E. Bang around this time, who engaged him to work for Nymølle Pottery.

From the beginnings at Nymolle, Wiinblad received multiple commissions, from designing textile and embroidery patterns to drawing posters, book and magazine illustrations. Wiinblad drew for the United Nations in Paris and designed costumes and stages for several theatrical performances. His fame grew in Denmark but soon would extend to Norway and Sweden and in 1950 his ceramics were exhibited at Bonnier's in New York, which specialised in Scandinavian design.

Wiinblad's recognition and acclaim would continue to grow, bringing him a silver medal at the first international ceramics festival in 1955 in Cannes, France and appointment as artistic director for Rosenthal in 1960. During the 1960s, Wiinblad would become owner to a number of ceramic studios including Vaerksted, Nymolle and Det Blaa Hus. He would make Det Blaa Hus his workshop and home until his death in 2006.

Wiinblad's successes did not stop in the Sixties, his continued achievements and international success were extensively documented and celebrated on the dedicated website: https://www.bjornwiinblad-denmark.dk/om-bjoern-wiinblad

Kintsugi is a Japanese philosophy with similarities to the philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, which includes ideas surrounding the embracing of the flawed or imperfect. The art of Kintsugi ("golden joinery") is the repairing of broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. The aesthetics of this philosophy values breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.

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.