Art Nouveau - Art Deco Part II

Among the highlights of the section 'Figurative Bronzes' is the rare bronze figure 'Cleopatra' by Demètre H. Chiparus, circa 1928, who flanked by two sphinxes displays her beauty in a confidently casual pose lying on a divan (€ 15.000 - 25.000). In contrast, Maurice Guiraud-Rivière depicted his figure 'Stella' (large version, cast by Etling Paris) in a moment of concentrated body tension while dancing with a sphere. She stands on the tiptoes of her right leg, bends her upper body forward, spreads her left arm so that one can view the musculature of her athletic body ( € 8.000 - 9.000). Not to be outdone in grace are the two bronze dancer sculptures from the group of sash dancers 'Le Jeu de l'Echarpe', originally conceived by the Belgian Agathon Léonard in 1898 for Sèvres as a centerpiece in bisque porcelain, but soon realized in bronze by Susse Frères. According to Ingelore Böstge and Emanuelle Heran, seven examples of the 'Danseuse au Cothurne' (€ 22.000 - 28.000) were produced, while the 'Danseuse à la Marguerite' seems to be even rarer (€ 18.000 - 26.000). The 'Roaring Twenties' are symbolised by the two dancers 'Cabaret Girl' (€ 22.000 - 28.000) and 'Con Brio' (€ 16.000 - 22.000). Ferdinand Preiss created the two show girls in tight-fitting dresses around 1925. The materials of choice were ivory, carved with unsurpassable delicacy, combined with coloured patinated bronze and a green onyx base.

From a private collection come some wonderful and rare pieces of furniture by Emile Gallé with marquetry such as a tea table 'Jeanne d'Arc' from 1889 (€ 5.000 - 6.000) with the depiction of Jeanne d'Arc as a shepherdess and a side table (circa 1895, € 15.000 - 20.000), where the theme of water lilies could be brought to the representation in all artisanal facets. The elaborately carved frame construction is depicted as sprouting water lily shoots with foliage and blossoms, the upper table top shows an inlaid pond landscape with water lilies and a buzzing dragonfly, the lower plate is decorated with more water lilies.

From the field of jewelry and silver, the works from the Darmstadt artists' colony stand out, for example one of the rare hat pins by Patriz Huber, 1901/02 (€ 900 - 1.200) or the cutlery set by Peter Behrens, who as Huber's neighbor on the Mathildenhöhe had realized his own residence from the facade to the cutlery as a harmonious Gesamtkunstswerk. Fish fork and fish knife from the 'Haus Behrens' of 1900/01 are not often found on the market (€ 1,200 - 1,600). The rare goblet '263 B' by Georg Jensen is offered in an early version between 1918 and 1932 and should accordingly meet with great interest (€ 2.200 - 3.200).

The ceramics department offers such choice objects as a lidded vase by Jean-Baptiste Séraphin from 1902 for the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres (€ 4.000 - 5.000). The piece has so far only been documented in a photograph showing an exhibition in one of Duncan's Paris salons. Equally rare and popular should be the vase 'Uccelli', by the Italian Art Nouveau ceramist Galileo Chini, 1897-1907. The ceramicist's very own way of interpreting the 'Stile Liberty' in his vase with flying birds will captivate the viewer (€ 2.000 - 3.000).

These and other objects can be seen during the preview from May 17 to 22 in the rooms at Theresienstraße 60.