Auction 168C

Joie de vivre
Figurative ceramics and Limoges vases. A Private Collection

24. May 2023 at 6:00 PM CEST

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Joie de vivre
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The largest part of the auction is made up of figurative ceramics with joyful and erotic depictions. In most of the subjects, the ambilvalence of lust and suffering is recognisable - at least at second glance. Starting with the irresistibly beautiful 'Ganymede', designed by Johann Joachim Kaendler for KPM Berlin in 1744 (€ 900 - 1,200), who is abducted to Olympus by Zeus himself in the form of an eagle, to the depiction of Marlene Dietrich as the 'Blue Angel' created by Josef Lorenzl for Goldscheider around 1935 (€ 1,800 - 2,400). The role as the femme fatale in the 1929 film 'The Blue Angel' was Marlene Dietrich's breakthrough to international film stardom. In the adaptation of Heinrich Mann's 1905 social satire, she drives the teacher Unrath into social seclusion and death through his unconditional love. ’The Dietrich' made the trouser suit very popular and respectable among ladies. Thus one can admire the guitarist 'Daisy', designed by Stefan Dakon for Goldscheider around 1930, in blue trousers and matching beret on her head (€ 1,200 - 1,600). Another very emancipated lady is 'Bubi' dressed in shorts, who also underlines the androgynous look with the short hairstyle popular in the 1920s (€ 900 - 1,200).

With the theme of Joie de Vivre, dance naturally plays a major role. Underneath the offered lots you will find quite a number of dancers, most of which were created around the turn of the century. For example, two of the figures from Agathon Léonard's table decoration 'Jeu de l'Echarpe' from 1898 (€ 900 - 1,200 each) and Theodor Eichler's 'Loie Fuller', created for Meissen in 1911 (€ 1,200 - 1,800). Paul Helmig's 'Psyche' (€ 900 - 1,600), which he sculpted for Meissen in 1900, is also depicted as a veil dancer and is another apt example of the tragic ambilvalence of love and suffering, which is a recurring theme in Greek mythology - actually, Aphrodite's son Eros is supposed to make Psyche fall in love with an abominable creature, but when he sees Psyche, it is all over for him.

Other stars of the auction are the 'Dolly Sisters' - one lot shows only one of them in a bent-over pose (€ 1,200 - 1,600), furthermore they are present as a dancing couple with the title 'Revue', 1926/27, also created by Stephan Dakon for Goldscheider (€ 1,400 - 1,800). The Mexican film star Dolores del Rio is immortalised as Carmen in a design by Josef Lorenzl for Goldscheider, circa 1927 (€ 900 - 1,200). The famous dancer Niddy Impekoven is represented twice: Around 1922 Lorenzl created the 'Captive Bird', which shows Impekoven in a skimpy butterfly costume (€ 2,000 - 2,400), the counterpart was created a few years later (€ 800 - 1,200).

The collector of the figurine collection offered here, who is particularly fond of the 1920s, has concentrated on another field of collecting. Enamelled metalwork from the French town of Limoges, which has been famous for it for centuries. In addition to the most important protagonist Camille Fauré, works by Jules Sarlandie, Mauricette Pinoteau and Henriette Marty are on offer.

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