Posted 11 years ago
cogito
(124 items)
Max Läuger stoneware vase by the workshop of J. Armbruster at Kandern Tonwerke (Karlsruhe, Ger.) for retail at La Maison Moderne (Paris, Fr.). This vase and another variant on this design were featured at the Paris Exposition of 1900. The bulbous shape on this stoneware vase features trailed slip decorative organic design of lemon trees against a blue ground. The rim of the vase has "Exposition - Paris - 1900" in elevated red hued letters in the round. The selection of lemon trees as a design motif is a sly bit of marketing, as the lemon tree as long been a symbol of status and wealth. What better way for a well-to-do couple to show their wealth and document the fact that they attended the Exposition than to bring home one of these as a tourist souvenir? Marked underneath with the Läuger “MLK”, La Maison Moderne “LMM”, & impressed Arms of the Grand Duchy of Baden, w/ “Gesetzl Geschzf”. Dimensions: 8.6”(H) x 7.5”(W).
The model presented here was presented at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris. Kessler Slotta, Max Laeuger, 1864-1952, Saarbrucken, 1985, p 176 fig
Blade, E., German ceramics of the 20th Century, Vol I, Dusseldorf, 1975, p 13 Fig 429 (Decor comparison); ceramics, from historicism to the present, collection Funke-Kaiser, Volume VII, KGM Cologne, 1975, p 225 Fig 165 (shape comparison) .
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Max Läuger (1864-1952), who initially studied painting at the Académie Julian in Paris, used the clay body of his earthenware and stoneware vessels as a substrate for vibrant colors. He is known for technically ingenious earthenware designs and color contrasts. Läuger’s ceramics were included in the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1900 and examples of his work are in the permanent collections of the NYC Met., Boston MFA, Victoria & Albert Mus. among others. Julius Meier-Graefe's La Maison Moderne, opened in 1899, was a competitor of Bing's Maison de l'Art Nouveau.
The is a variant poster for La Maison Moderne by Balais, which illustrates Läuger's pottery of this type in the image, as well as the La Maison Moderne logo on the bottom of the vase. They can been seen here: http://thebluelantern.blogspot.com/2010/11/la-maison-moderne.html
stunning!!!! AAA+++++ :)
Thanks for the blog page too. Loved the illustrations and related the vase to the Blanche Ory-Robin (1862-1942) - Spring Garden Tapestry, c.1910-1912, from the Musee d'Orsay, Paris.
Love Lauger! Awesome designs and technique.
Yeah, what really blows me away from that blog post is the picture of Julius Meier-Graefe in his office and if you notice in the far right corner an original Edvard Munch's "Madonna" woodblock print is hanging on the wall!
Thanks, Fledermaus. High praise coming from you. I will say, however, that of the Laeuger vases I've owned (or have seen) they all suffer to one degree or another from condition issues. Glaze flakes and chips are notorious, if not outright cracking. I'm not certain why, but I suspect that the clay uses and/or firing temperature were such that the pieces are apt to damage.
Yes, the one I own is black on blue and has a chip. We went to The Neue Galerie to see the Kolo Moser Retrospective on Sunday. What a great show!!! One of Kolo's still life paintings, which hung in his house, depicts cyclamens and a George Minne like the one marble I showed you. Stopped me in my tracks. He owned a similar piece.
Very cool. I had a chance to see many Moser paintings at the Leopold in Vienna about 4 years back. I love how his figures appear to be illuminated from behind with prismatic color effects. You and he have exquisite tastes!
BTW - here's a link to the alternative Paris 1900 design vase in the V&A Museum: http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O159829/vase-lauger-max-prof/
What blows me away, however, is from their museum notes it appears that they are unaware of the attribution to and significance of the "LMM" mark!
Hi cogito. The V&A has some detail in the "more information" section of the folder.
"Designed by Max Lauger, made by Thonwerke Kandern, Karlsruhe, Germany, Germany 1900
Marks: 'KML' in monogram (for Karlsruhe Max Lauger) and the arms of the Grand Duchy of Baden, with 'Gesetzl Geschzf', 'LMM' (for La Maison Moderne), impressed
Earthenware with trailed slip decoration"
"Lettered in the decoration 'Paris Anno Domini 1900'
Purchased (?from LMM?) "
The PDF file they offer is not bad but lacks these details.
Your citrus vase is a much nicer looking pot than their olive tree IMHO!
Thanks for the added info, Vetraio! Cheers!
I do love this...:-)