Hello all,

I came upon this forum while trying to research a hand-hammered copper and brass (bronze?) jardinière with stylized bat-like applique that I purchased recently (see pictures below). It is approximately 10" tall by 10" across; has an overall dark patina, has not been polished or fixed up in any way (as far as I can tell). It is marked with either 2 very small O's on the center bottom that, but it could also be an "8."

Any ideas of who produced this piece? General age of production? It's of obvious quality and craftsmanship, but I've had no luck finding even close exemplars. I read somewhere that Stickley Brothers metalwork pieces were only stamped with a number and a paper label, so I thought maybe that was the case here. Seems too ornate for pure Arts-Crafts, but given the craftsmanship I couldn't think of any other group to produce such a piece of quality with the centered and stamped number mark.

Thanks in advance to any and all for the time, advice, and expertise.

Sincerely,
Jeff

This is a wonderful Jardiniere. I suspect it is Austrian or German. Copper construction with cast bronze fittings. Early 20th century and in great shape.

Not Stickley and great piece. I love the scale and proportions of the design. A blend of Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts.

Thanks for the feedback, Fred.

I suspected as much, but with the number stamp thought it important enough to check. So, I'm assuming that #8 is some other form or item in the Stickley Bros. metalwork catalog?

The bat motif is so unusual. I've seen a few items with bats, but nothing of this sort.

Jeff

I saw that on Ebay; very cool and just in time for Halloween!! I agree; it looks European to me, especially with the Art Nouveau influence. I think the guy originally wanted something like a grand for it but you must have gotten a better deal than that if I recall. Regardless, it very unsual and a nice piece for anyone's collection.

As an update on this piece, I received the following information from a European dealer specializing in Art Nouveau object d'art:

"Your wine cooler / flowerpot was made in Germany and is a design by Ludwig Vierthaler (1875 - 1976), who worked for the Munchen firm ,J. Winhart & Co. It was made around 1902/1904. Vierthaler was a specialist of nature design and a great copper/silver/metal smith."

Mystery SOLVED!

Thanks to everyone for their input.

Cheers,
Jeff

Jeff,

Congratulations on finding the name of the designer. Vierthaler was an influencial designer in Munich. I will check to see what information I have on him.

Thanks you for sharing this great piece.

Fred

Fred,

I performed a search for other pieces by Vierthaler and came up with the following bowl, which is in the Minneapolis Museum of Art collection:

Creator J. Winhardt & Co., European; Northern European; German, (manufacturer)
Ludwig Vierthaler, European; Northern European; German, 1875 - 1967, (designer)

Title Bowl

Date 1906

Material copper, mother-of-pearl

Measurements D.12 in.

Repository The Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
The Modernism Collection, gift of Norwest Bank Minnesota
L99.184.62

Source Data From: The Minneapolis Institute of Arts

BTW - any recommendations on how to tackle the green discoloration on the inside of the piece and general care down the road?

My initial thought is to give it a light clean with just a soft cloth and water, then let it dry thoroughly. After which, I was going to apply a light coat of RenWax to seal the piece from any further oxydation damage.

Jeff

Jeff,

If this were my piece, I would clean the inside by using vinegar to desolve the lime and verdigris. Be carefull not to disturb the finish on the outside. Be patient with the vinegar and check it often if there are pin holes do not use vinegar since it will seap out onto the outside surface.

If you are nervous you might have a restorer look at the piece and give you a quote to preserve it.

The outside should be wiped clean with water and a soft cloth to remove dust and then waxed with a non abrassive wax such as Clear Wax non yellowing variety or Renaisance Wax.