Glazed Animal Sculptures

Gunvor Olin-Grönqvist – A stoneware sculpture of a garlic bulb – Arabia Finland ca. 1980 Description An unglazed, incised and painted stoneware figurine of a garlic bulb. Modelled ...

Poodle is made of white stoneware with shiny light blue glaze and dark blue hand painted decoration. It was designed by Lisa Larson (1931-2024) as part of the "Poodles" (Pudlar) ser...

Dachshund dog is made of chamotte stoneware with geometric decoration in blue and white semi-matte glaze. It was designed by Lisa Larson (1931-2024) in 1955 as part of the ”Lilla zo...

Gunnar Nylund "Iller" Stonewear Weasel with stand for Rörstrand Sweden 1960's A beautiful vintage weasel in stoneware by Gunnar Nylund for Ro¨rstrand, Sweden, circa 1960 in perfec...

This Scandinavian Modern earthenware hedgehog from the 1960s exudes charm with its glazed zigzag pattern on beige fur. The unglazed brown face adds a distinctive touch to its feature...

A stunning and unique stoneware rooster sculpture with amazing glaze. Made by Tyra Lundgren. Executed in her own studio in Sweden, 1955. Great condition, but with a couple of chips to the base (pictured). Signed by the artist in two places, and dated 1955-06-20. Provenance: bought from the estate of the artist in 1979. Tyra Lundgren (1897-1979) was one of the most multifaceted artists and modernists of the twentieth century. She was a painter, drawer, sculptor, ceramist, glass- and textile designer, as well as an author and an art critic. She was the first woman who designed glass for Paolo Venini at Murano in Venice and she also served as the artistic leader at Arabia in Helsinki at a time when men tended to hold those kinds of positions. Tyra Lundgren grew up in Djursholm, near Stockholm. Her parents were John Petter Lundgren, professor at Veterinärinstitutet (institute of veterinary sciences) in Stockholm, and Edith Lundgren née Åberg, who was a housewife and raised their six children. The bourgeois home also comprised a nanny and a female cook. The family were very socially active, travelled often, and enjoyed the outdoor lifestyle. Tyra Lundgren’s schooling began at Djursholm coeducational school, where her teachers included Natanael and Elsa Beskow and Alice Tegnér. Her school friends included Greta Knutson-Tzara, Stellan Mörner, and Ingrid Rydbeck-Zuhr. Tyra Lundgren knew from the time she was five years old that she wanted to be an artist. She first became aware of the profession through Axel Fahlcrantz, who rented a studio on the plot of land where she lived with her family. In 1913 she began to attend Högre konstindustriella skolan (HKS, now known as Konstfack, college of arts, crafts and design) where she studied decorative art as well as handicrafts in various forms until 1917. One of her fellow students and friends there was Estrid Ericson, who later founded Svenskt Tenn AB in 1924. Whilst attending HKS Tyra Lundgren also took painting lessons at the Althin school of painting. In 1917 she was accepted as a candidate at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts where, apart from breaks during which she undertook studies abroad, she remained until 1922. She spent a couple of months taking lessons from Anton Hanak in Vienna and from 1920–1923 she was a student of André Lhote in Paris. Tyra Lundgren was primarily active in four countries: Sweden, Finland, France, and Italy. She spent much of her professional life travelling and considered herself to be a European. Greece and Mexico also formed important centres in her artistic life, as did the USA. She had an extensive social network which included focal individuals within twentieth century-European and American artistic and cultural circles. Tyra Lundgren’s main artistic motifs were birds, fish, and people which she depicted through different techniques and materials. Her artistic expression involved a variety of different directions and styles. She was a pioneer of the 1920s Swedish Grace style, the name of which had been coined by the art critic Morton Shand at the Stockholm Exhibition of 1930. This was a Swedish Art Deco style, characterised by elegance and traditional art which contrasted with the current artistic ideals of functionalism. Tyra Lundgren made her debut at a group exhibition held at Kungliga Akademien för de fria konsterna in 1921. She went on to show her work at various exhibitions throughout the 1920s. After that period she only very rarely exhibited her paintings. Tyra Lundgren’s painted output can be divided into different periods or stylistic directions. The first of these, and the most extensive, was her post-Cubist period which began in 1920 on her arrival in Paris. Her paintings from this time and right up to the mid-1930s typically comprise portraits, self-portraits, live-model painting, still-lifes, interiors, and landscapes in the Cubist style. Many of the great number of self-portraits she painted were produced in the New Objective style, displaying broad variation in terms of clothes, poses and techniques. Two of these – Huvud med vit duk and Självporträtt both from 1921 – can be seen at Moderna Museet in Stockholm, although the majority of these works are at Gotlands Museum. Tyra Lundgren’s second artistic period comprises the years of 1927 to 1929 and is characterised by the New Objective style inspired by medieval techniques and materials (Giotto, Piero della Francesca). Her motifs were still-lifes and landscapes. At this point she was living in Rome and was close to the circle involved in the Valori plastici: rivista d’arte art journal. This period saw a breakthrough in her development as a painter. From the 1950s through the 1970s her work can almost be described as belonging to the Concrete style. Using light pastel colours her paintings sought light in a sometimes non-figurative expression, but often depicting abstract bird-shapes or other nature-inspired imagery. Her paintings from this period are outsized and display powerful colours, in yellows, reds, and blues. Tyra Lundgren maintained a constant production of drawings, both in terms of individual artworks and sketches for patterns and designs. She also produced the illustrations for her book Fagert i Fide. Årstiderna på en gammal gotlandsgård, published in 1961. During her early years she also produced advertising illustrations. She spent the final years of her life primarily working with lithographs which were printed at Galleri Prisma and depicted images of doves, swallows, magpies and crows. Tyra Lundgren is meanwhile best known for her work as a ceramist and in this sphere she was one of Sweden’s leading exponents. She worked in the porcelain industry as a designer and as an artisan and ceramic sculptor. Her first job was at St Eriks Lervarufabrik in Uppsala from 1922–1924, she then worked at Arabia from 1924–1937, and at Rörstrand and Lidköping Porslinsfabrik. She was the artistic leader at Arabia ahead of the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition and she exhibited her work at the World’s Fairs. During the 1934–1938 period she was connected to the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres porcelain factory in Paris. Tyra Lundgren was a pioneer when it came to giving ceramic art a public space in Sweden. She produced around 20 outsized reliefs in stoneware, so-called monumental reliefs. One of these is Märkeskvinnor, from 1947, for the former girls’ school at Bohusgatan in Stockholm. From the 1940s onwards Tyra Lundgren produced sculptural objects in Chamotte clay and stoneware, with various glazings. Her small birds are well-known and popular with many. When her ceramic efforts became too much for her during the 1970s she then produced models for sculptures in bronze. There are six of these in various places around the globe, including Solfågel in Almedalen, Visby. Tyra Lundgren began to work as a glassware designer at Moser in Karlsbad in 1922 where she designed new table services and modernised older ones. She also worked freelance for Riihimäki factory in Finland during the 1924–1929 period. From 1934 to 1938 she was employed by Kosta glass factory where she mainly designed thick-walled bowls and vases, engraved with classical motifs. She was introduced to the glassmaker Paolo Venini at Murano during the Triennale di Milano of 1936 and they began a collaboration that lasted into the 1950s. As part of this collaboration Tyra Lundgren became the first woman to design glassware and, in conjunction with the glassblower Arturo Biasutto, she developed new techniques of glass production. Her motifs at this point were birds, fish, snail-shaped designs and leaf-patterned bowls using traditional techniques as well as in new designs. It was during this time that she created the so-called tissue-shaped bowls and it remains unclear as to who specifically came up with the design but Tyra Lundgren claimed it was of her making. Tyra Lundgren was active as textile designer for Licium (now HV Licium), the sacred textiles...

Mari Simmulson for Upsala Ekeby, Sweden. Ceramic owl sculpture. From the 1960s. Model number: 6058. Marked with the manufacturer's mark. In perfect condition. Dimensions: Height 17.5...

A lovely fish sculpture in ceramic designed by Gunnar Nylund at Rörstrand. It is 16.5 cm (6.6") high. It is in excellent condition except from some chips on the fish mouth. Gunnar ...

Two rare owl sculptures in stoneware designed by Carl-Harry Stålhane at Rörstrand. They are 8.5 cm (3.4") high. They are in good condition except from some marks from the production ...

Stig Lindberg (1916-1982) for Gustavsberg. Horse figurine in glazed stoneware in a light green shade. In excellent condition. Signed: Gustavsberg Sweden. Sticker. Dimensions: B 16.0...

Stig Lindberg (1916-1982) for Gustavsberg. Horse figurine in glazed stoneware in a light green shade. In excellent condition. Signed: Gustavsberg Sweden. Dimensions: B 14.0 cm. x 11...

Britt-Louise Sundell for Gustavsberg. Ringo 1 baby elephant in glazed ceramics. 1960's. In perfect condition. Signed. Dimensions: 12.5 x 12.0 cm.

Stig Lindberg (1916-1982) for Gustavsberg. Horse figurine in glazed stoneware with light green glaze In excellent condition. Signed: Gustavsberg Sweden. Sticker. Dimensions: W 10.0 ...

Gunvor Olin-Grönqvist – A unique stoneware sculpture of a snail shell on a glazed base – Arabia Finland ca. 1980 Description A unique unglazed incised stoneware sculpture of a spiral shell or snail shell on a glazed base. Sculpted by Gunvor Olin-Grönqvist for Arabia’s Art...

Lisa Larson for Gustavsberg, a dachshund in ceramics. Marked. Measures: 14.5 cm. x 5.0 cm. In perfect condition.

A sculpture of a deer in ceramic designed by Gunnar Nylund at Rörstrand. It is 27,5 x 16.5 cm (11" x 6.6") and 21.5 cm (8.6") high. It is in excellent condition and comes with the or...

Vintage wall plaque abstract mid century ceramic wall hanging stoneware Blue glazed Owls relief designed by Sven Aage Jensen and manufactured by S...

Gunnar Nylund, Stoneware Sculpture of an Antilope, Rörstrand, Sweden, circa 1955 Description A large stoneware sculpture of an Antilope, finished in matte reddish brown and dark brown glazes on a satin-gloss black lacquered wooden base, made in a limited edition of 200 pieces. Gunnar Nyland was particular known for his animal figures with beautiful experimental glazes. The larger examples of exotic animals - like this antilope - are especially sought after. This sculpture was designed by Gunnar Nylund and executed by the Swedish ceramics factory Rörstrand in the 1950's. It is fully signed underneath: R (Rörstrand) Sweden with 3 crowns (after 1951 Rörstrand changed to the international spelling Sweden), GN (Gunnar Nylund) and 83/200. As it lacks the post 1960 VDN markings, this piece can be dated between 1951 and 1960. Artist Gunnar Nylund (1904-1997) was a Swedish artist, ceramist and sculptor most known for his work for the Swedish ceramic manufacturer Rörstrand. He was born in Paris to a Danish mother...

Lisa Larson for Gustavsberg, dromedary in ceramics. From the series Stora Zoo 1960-68. Measures: 10.5 cm. x 9.5 cm. In perfect condition.

Gunnar Nylund (1904-1997) for Rörstrand. Fish in glazed ceramics. Beautiful glaze in brown shades. Mid-20th century. Measuring: L 17 cm. x H 14,5 cm. In excellent condition. Sig...

Curt M. Addin (1931-2007) for Glumslöv. Bird in partially glazed stoneware. Swedish design, 1960s/70s. Measures: 18 x 13.5 cm. In excellent condition. Stamped.

Lisa Larson for Gustavsberg. Afghan hound in glazed stoneware. 1980s. Measures: 16 x 14 cm. In excellent condition. Stamped.

Helge Christoffersen (1925-1965), Denmark. Unique figure in hand-painted and glazed stoneware. Playing cats. Mid-20th century. Measures: 26 x 26 cm. In excellent condition. Si...

Lisa Larson for Gustavsberg. Turtle in glazed stoneware. Beautiful glaze in shades of red. 1970s. Measures: 11.5 x 5 cm. In excellent condition. Stamped.

Lisa Larson for Gustavsberg. Rare lion couple in glazed stoneware. 1970's. In very good condition. Stamped. Measures: 16 x 7.5 cm.

Nittsjö, Sweden. Two figures in hand-painted and glazed stoneware. Fallow deer and toad. 1960s. Largest measures: 13.5 x 9.5 cm. In excellent condition. Stamped.

Royal Copenhagen. Lion cub in porcelain Number 2596. Measures 10 x 15 cm. In perfect condition. 1st. factory quality.

A figurine of a Ferret designed by Gunnar Nylund at Rörstrand, it is 12 cm high and in very good condition with a lovely glaze. It is marked as 1st quality.

A lovely wooden sculpture designed in Sweden in the midcentury. It is in very good condition except from that one of its legs is repaired. The designer is unknown.

This trio of sweetly adorable and hand-decorated bird sculptures is by leading Swedish ceramicist and designer Lisa Larson (b. 1931 - ) designed in the early 1990s. Originally designed for Larson's exhibition, the production of the figures were by Larsons pottery...

A lovely animal sculpture of a monkey designed by Gunnar Nylund at Rörstrand, it is 16 cm high and in very good condition with a lovely glaze. It comes with the original wooden base....

Jeanne Grut for Aluminia. Colossal sculpture in glazed ceramics. Musk ox calf. 1950s. Measures: 41 x 19 cm. Height: 34 cm. In excellent condition. Stamped.

Sven Wejsfelt (1930-2009) for Gustavsberg. Unique stim 7 fish in glazed ceramics. 1980s. Measures: 27 x 12 cm. In excellent condition. Stamped.

Knud Kyhn for Royal Copenhagen. Glazed stoneware figurine of a panther with young cub, decorated in a stunning sung glaze. Signed KK (Knud Kyhn) and Royal Copenhagen stamp, No. 202...

Paul Hoff for Swedish glass. Three figures in art glass. Cheetah, elephant and orangutan. WWF. 1970s. The elephant measures: 12 x 10 cm. In perfect condition. Stamped.

Sven Wejsfelt (1930-2009) for Gustavsberg. Unique Stim fish in glazed ceramics. Perch. 1980s. Measures: 15 x 8 cm. In excellent condition. Stamped.

Thomas Hellström for Nittsjö. Flute shaped like a bird in glazed stoneware. 1960s / 70s. Measures: 19 x 10,5 cm. In excellent condition. Stamped.

Sven Wejsfelt (1930-2009) for Gustavsberg. Unique Stim fish in glazed ceramics. Perch. 1980s. Measures: 15 x 8 cm. In excellent condition. Stamped.

Klase Jr. for Höganäs. Unique bird in glazed stoneware. Dated 1981. Measures: 13.5 x 11 cm. In excellent condition. Signed and dated.

Michael Andersen elephant executed in polychrome glazed ceramic. Very rare version with blue and black glaze. It is imprinted with the crest mark and design number to the front feet....

An impressive stoneware sculpture of a fish fossil having a rich and variegated matte glaze over expressive textural impressions enriched by brown underglaze markings. Signed "T. Kaa...

Green glazed ceramic bear figure made by ceramic art studio Johgus, on the Island of Bornholm, Denmark. Studio founded in 1944 by Johannes M. Pedersen and Gustav Ottosen.

An uncommon white stoneware betta fish sculpture with thick glossy cyan glaze. Signed.

A substantial stoneware sculpture of a fossilized flatfish having a rich and variegated matte glaze over expressive textural impressions enriched by brown underglaze markings. Signed...

Set consisting of two ceramic bird figures and one ceramic vase, all manufactured at EGO Stengods (1966-1988) in Lidköping, Sweden 1970s. Vase hand-thrown and signed "BK" for Bruno ...

An uncommon ceramic seal sculpture with painterly red-brown glaze.

A pair of stoneware fish figures by Willi Fischer for his own company Fischer Stengods, Sweden 1970s.

Lisa Larson for K-Studio/Gustavsberg. Cat in glazed ceramic. Late 1900s. Measurements: H 14.5 cm. x L 10.5 cm. In great condition. Marked: K-Studio/Gustavsberg. Lisa Larson (b...