Posted 14 years ago
eindhoven44
(4 items)
My wife and I love the Arts & Crafts movement. We normally collect furniture, hand painted plates, hand tooled leather purses and just about anything that catches our eye that fits the bill. We also love Art Nouveau though finding information on all the European makers can be a test.
We popped on these as they were coming in the door in a grocery cart at an antique store we used to haunt in Memphis, TN. Gotta love the South. So many great finds down here.
They have the following marking: 223 Made in Austria Reproduction Reserve. We have since learned that they are not in fact Reproductions as we though with that type of marking. The downside is we have no clue about anything else. What kind of wood? The artist? They are ceramic reliefs that appear to be hand painted Terra Cotta.
Got an ideas?
Thanks so much.
Lloyd & Jody
Hello AR8Jason. Thank you for your comment. My wife and I ran around google and discovered this as well when we first purchased these. Being collectors the natural inclination when you read Reproduction is to automaticaly associate it with the market for repros. I am glad you confirmed this though.
I really wish we could put an artists name to them. We know there were quite a few Austrian and German artists working in hand painted terra cotta during this time. We thought we had it down to one in particular but we have since lost the link.
Again thanks and warm regards.
I wonder if the images represent two of the Three Graces? Nice find.
Perhaps "Wine & Song". Ernst Wahliss did similar plaques but his name is there.
Yep. I'm with vetraio50. These are almost certainly Austrian/Bohemian and probably Amphora or Wahliss production pieces...with my money on the latter.
What Memphis antique store?
I have to revise my attribution. Based upon the numbering and marks, which are shared on a terracotta lamp I just purchased, I strongly believe that these plaques were produced by Johann Pilar (Vienna). I have found additional terracotta Art Nouveau pieces, including lamps and other plaques, that carry a three digit number and the marks "Made in Austria" and "Reproduction Reserve." My lamp has the additional mark of “J. Pilar, Rothneusiedl, Wien" (see here: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/49098-johann-pilar-oberlaa-sea-maiden-w-nau? ).
The "Made in Austria" and "Reproduction Reserve" marks on these pieces indicate that they were made with the intention for export and were marked as such to ward away copyright infringement.
FAnother Pilar? Wow! Well done cogito!
Goldscheider also used the "Reproduction Reserve" impressed stamp, but their pieces are also clearly marked with the Goldscheider name. The combination of "Made in Austria" "Reproduction Reserve" and a three digit number on painted terra cotta is consistent with those on my Pilar lamp. I'll post a picture of the markings on my lamp in a few minutes.
Thank you all so much for your detailed information that helped ID the maker.
The antique store these were picked up in was Sheffields (Antique Store) in Collierville, TN. They also usually have a number of Arts & Crafts period pieces.
I know that antique store well! I am from the area and I am usually out hunting the yard sales and sometimes estate sales with the booth sellers in this antique store, lol! Wow, that you found these there! I have had an inkling or two to go to that antique store and now you've given me a reason to pop in. GREAT find and Art Nouveau- my favorite-wish that would have been me, lol.