Animal Sculptures

Over 500 years ago Chinese potters first experimented with copper oxide glazes to create a fiery red finish that became known as Flambe. When these Sung Dynasty (AD 960 to 1279) porcelain pieces reached Europe, they were collectively called flambe, because the glaze’s resemblance to flames, and were instantly prized by collectors. Sung Dynasty ceramics are considered by many to be history’s foremost expression of the ceramic art. Although the origin of these striking flambe ( or transmutation) glazes is lost in legend, one of the greatest achievements of Royal Doulton’s artisans was the rediscovery of long-lost secrets from China’s master potters, and their ceramic ware that was renowned for its rich, blood-red and ruby effects. Marks on verso indicated the piece was made after 1930. After much experimenting and hard work, the Doulton company found immediate success at the St. Louis Exhibition in 1904. More experimenting continued in order to perfect the art of flambe and in 1920 Royal Doulton exhibited its new “Sung” wares and proved they were still the pioneers in the flambe field. Later generations of Europeans dubbed the color sang-d-boeuf, because it resembled ox blood. Royal Doulton is an English ceramic and home accessories manufacturer that was founded in 1815 by John Doulton at Lambeth, London in association with John Watts and known as Doulton and Watts. Operating originally in Vauxhall, London, and later moving to Lambeth, in 1882 it opened a factory in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, in the centre of English pottery. From the start, the backbone of the business was a wide range of utilitarian wares, mostly stonewares including storage jars, tankards and the like, and later extending to other technical ceramics. From 1853 to 1901, its wares were marked Doulton and Co., then from 1901, when a royal warrants was given, Royal Doulton. It always made decorative wares, mostly stoneware, and from the 1860s, the firm made considerable efforts to get a reputation for design, in which it was largely successful, as one of the first British makers of art pottery initially done through artistic stonewares made in Lambeth, but in 1882 the firm bought a Burslem factory, which was mainly intended for making bone china, tablewares and decorative items. It was a latecomer in this market compared to firms such as Royal Crown Derby, Royal Worcester, Wedgwood, Spoke and Mintons, but made a place for itself in the later 19th century . Today Royal Doulton mainly produces tableware and figurines. The company took the name Doulton & Co. in 1854 after the retirement of John Watts in 1853, and a merger with Henry Doulton and Co., although the trading name of Doulton & Watts continued to be used for decades. For some of the 19th century there were three different businesses, run by the sons of John Doulton, and perhaps with cross-ownership, which later came back together by the end of the century. By 1897 the total employees exceeded 4,000. By this time Doulton was popular for stoneware and ceramics, under the artistic direction of John Slater who worked with figurines, vases, character jugs, and decorative pieces designed by the prolific Leslie Harradine...

Porcelain creation depicting a rabbit, one of the animals from the Chinese horoscope, with a surprising innovative design. This porcelain piece portr...

Beautiful and cute vintage Murano hand blown Sommerso yellow orange over red core Italian art glass baby bird figurine / paperweight. Attributed to the Cene...

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Large sculptural fish in orange and white glass on thick Lucite base. Signed by Murano artist Pino Signoretto, limited edition 14/250. Pino Signoretto (1944-2017) was born in 1944 in a small town near Venice; in 1954 he started working in a chandelier furnace. In 1959 he learned from the great masters Alfredo Barbini, Livio Seguso, Ermanno Nason and Angelo Seguso. In 1960 he became a master glassmaker. In 1978 he opened his own studio in Murano. He began collaborations with painters and architects, including Dalì, Vedova, Licata, Kruft, Dal Pezzo, Vitali, Pomodoro, Willson. In the 90s he was called to teach in universities and design schools in the United States, Canada and Japan. From 2000 he taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice. Magnificent and prestigious are his large works, such as twelve large fountains...

ABOUT ARTIST Walter Bosse (Austrian, 1904 – 1979) was a Viennese artist, designer, ceramist, potter, metalworker, and craftsman noted for his modernist bronze animal figurines and grotesques. Walter Bosse was the son of artists Luise and Julius Bosse. His father worked as a portrait painter at the imperial court. Walter Bosse attended the Wiener Kunstgewerbeschule, now the University of Applied Arts Vienna from 1918 to 1921, where he studied ceramics under Michael Powolny, and ornament under Franz Cizek. He then attended the Munich School of Applied Arts (Münchner Kunstgewerbeschule). During his schooling he was given the opportunity to sell his work at the Wienner Werkstatte by Josef Hoffman, who became a mentor to Bosse. Bosse opened his own shop in Kufstein, in 1923. Bosse's work grew in popularity and a number of his pieces were shown at the International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in 1925. He started designing for Augarten Porcelain Works (1924), as well as Goldscheider (1926) and Metler and Orloff (1927). In 1931, to meet increasing demand (especially in America), Bosse opened up a bigger shop in Kufstein, but by 1933 he started to feel the effects of the economic depression. By 1937, the Kufstein works were closed. In 1938, now divorced, Bosse moved back to Vienna, where he founded Bosse Ceramics (Bosse-Keramik), which expanded under the new name “Terra” to include glass, toys, textiles and a variety of craft items for the gift market. In the late 1940s, Bosse began experimenting with brass by giving his ceramic figures a metal coating to protect them from breakage. He formed a partnership with Herta baller, whose company (the Herta Baller Company) manufactured and marketed the brass figurines, this collaboration was called the Bosse/Baller company. In the early 1950s, Bosse and Baller began exploring a new style of brass called the “Black Gold Line” or "Black Golden Line" of brass figurines. He transitioned all of his efforts to brass and the figures became popular worldwide. Despite Bosse's success with his brass figures, it was still a difficult time for him financially. In 1953, partly fleeing from financial troubles, he moved to Iserholm, Germany where he set up a new shop and continued production. In Vienna, the Herta Baller Company continued to make and sell Bosse's designs. Bosse also collaborated with Karlsruhe State Majolika Works on a number of pottery animal figures.] In 1958, he designed for Achatit Schirmer in Cologne. Bosse also turned his efforts to small, everyday items such as letter openers, keyrings, corkscrews, and pencil holders, all of which bear the distinctive "black and gold" look. A number of Bosse's designs began to gain widespread popularity internationally, particularly his brass hedgehog...

This is a highly stylized decorative elephant in carved cinnabar set with various semi-precious stones. The cinnabar is a classic color and the elephan...

Antique Swedish Dala horse in bright red paint, circa 19th/early 20th century. Beautifully carved with slender legs and graceful form with l...

A stylish red and black ceramic bull made in Germany in the Seventies by Otto Keramik. Fat lava pottery takes its name from its resemblance to volcanic lava and was very popular in t...

This iconic Rimini Blu ceramic was manufactured circa 1960 in Italy by Bittossi and designed by Aldo Londi. Aldo Londi was born in Montelupo near Firenze where he grew up in a big ceramic tradition. In the 1950s he was Art Director of Bitossi and designed the famous Rimini blue series, lots of different vases, bowls, ashtrays and animals. For many people it was the perfect souvenir from Italy. This amazing large bull ceramic is a rare red glazed version from this Rimini blue animal sculptures...

The Toikka bird, red dove by Iittala offers a stylish, sculptural accompaniment to inside spaces. Renowned Finnish glass designer Ovia Toikka crafted his f...

A lovely bright and shiny rare large orange elephant in excellent condition with its original paper label ‘Made in Brazil’ on the underside of one foot. Signed ‘Pal’ in the item.