Early 20th Century Austrian Bronze Cobra Pocket Watch Holder by, Franz Bergman

View Similar Items

20th Century Austrian Bronze standing English Bulldog, Franz Bergman (Mangreb)

Early 20th Century Austrian Bronze Entitled "Lady Reading" by Franz Bergman

Early 20th Century Cold-Painted Bronze "Rabbit" by Franz Bergman

Early 20th Century Cold-Painted Bronze "Red Grouse" by Franz Bergman

Early 20th Century Cold-Painted Bronze entitled "Arab Boy" by Franz Bergman

Early 20th Century Cold-Painted Bronze Sculpture "Wise Owl" by Franz Bergman

Early 20th Century Cold-Painted Bronze Entitled "Kangaroo" by Franz Bergman

Early 20th C Austrian Cold-Painted Entitled "Roaring Stag" by Franz Bergman

Early 20th Century Cold-Painted Bronze entitled "Salmon" by Franz Bergman

Antique Franz Bergman Vienna Cold Painted Bronze Cobra Snake Statue Watch Holder

20th C Austrian Cold-Painted Bronze Entitled "Hunting Owl" by Franz Bergman

Early 20th Century Cold-Painted Bronze Sculpture "Boy on Ox" by Franz Bergman

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 9

Early 20th Century Austrian Bronze Cobra Pocket Watch Holder by, Franz Bergman

About the Item

An early 20th century Austrian/Viennese Art Nouveau realistic cold-painted bronze of a cobra snake coiled with its head fanned out and tongue extended outwards. The tongue is long enough to intercept a pocket-watch as photographed. The bronze is signed with the Bergman Foundry Mark and further signed indistinctly "Nam Greb". circa 1900 Notes: *POCKET WATCH NOT INCLUDED* Biography: Franz Xavier Bergman (Austrian, 1861 – 1936) Franz Xavier Bergman born in Austria was in 1861. Bergman was noted for his detailed and colorful work. He signed with either a letter 'B' in an urn-shaped cartouche or 'Nam Greb' – 'Bergman' in reverse. These marks were used to disguise his identity on erotic works. His father, Franz Bergman was a professional chaser from Gablonz who came to Vienna and founded a small bronze factory in 1860. Franz Xaver Bergmann inherited the company and opened a new foundry in 1900. Many of the bronzes from the 1900s were still based on designs from his father's workshop. Bergman is often incorrectly described as a sculptor but he was not; he was a foundry owner. His workshops employed, on a temporary basis, many anonymous sculptors. Bruno Zach employed Bergmann to edit and cast some of his works, with some of the more erotic ones being signed as "Prof. Tuch", a pseudonym used by Zach. At the turn of the 19th century there were about fifty workshops producing Vienna bronzes. 'Cold-painted bronze' refers to pieces cast in Vienna and then decorated in several layers with so-called dust paint; the know-how for the mix of this kind of paint has been lost. The color was not fired hence 'cold painted'. The painting was carried out mainly by women working at home, a typical cottage industry. Sensuous poses of young women in the Art Nouveau style were disguised by a covering that revealed all when a button was pushed or a lever moved. Often carefully sculpted animals, such as bears, could be opened to reveal an erotic figure inside. The Bergmann foundry was closed in 1930 due to the Great Depression. It was reopened some years later by Robert Bergmann, son of Franz, and operated until his death in 1954 when the remaining stock and molds were sold to Karl Fuhrmann & Co.

Creator:
Franz Bergmann (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 6 in (15.24 cm)Width: 6.5 in (16.51 cm)Depth: 6.5 in (16.51 cm)
Style:
Art Nouveau (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Bronze,Cast,Polychromed
Place of Origin:
Austria
Period:
Early 20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1900
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. The split/forked tongue does show some minor paint loss from use.
Seller Location:
Englewood, NJ
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU888824865342