Inventory Number DAP032
Size 15" H x 8" W
Material Hard earthenware
Period Art Nouveau, Symbolist
Country of Origin Austria
Year Made c. 1905
Condition Excellent
One of Amphora’s greatest creations, this model by Paul Dachsel is clearly indebted to Japanese bronzes and ceramics that feature crustaceans and other sea creatures clinging to their bodies. The squat bulbous body and long neck provide a variety of shapes to which the starfish can be attached, allowing for a maximum of expressiveness in the treatment of their elongated arms. The overall bone color of the glaze is reminiscent of dead coral, fossils, or ivory. This subdued monochromatic coloration unifies the body and applied decoration, suggesting the bleached out appearance of life in oceanic depths.
Publications
Model illustrated in Scott, Richard L., Ceramics from the House of Amphora : 1890-1915 (Sidney, Ohio : Richard L. Scott, 2004), 102.
-Description by Claire Cass