- 20
Viktor Schreckengost
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- Viktor Schreckengost
- Jazz Bowl
- signed VIKTOR SCHRECKENGOST twice, incised with artist's monogram, CACW-3 and 10 and with foundation tag VSFsn3715
- glazed earthenware
Literature
The Cowan Potters, Inc., March 17, 1931, p. 2
Alastair Duncan, American Art Deco, New York, 1986, p. 117
Richard Guy Wilson, Dianne H. Pilgrim and Dickran Tashjian, The Machine Age in America, 1918-1941, New York, 1986. p. 291
Janet Kardon, ed., Craft in the Machine Age, 1920-1945: The History of Twentieth-Century American Craft, New York, 1995, p. 55
Karen McCready, Art Deco & Modernist Ceramics, London, 1995, p. 115
Henry Adams, Viktor Schreckengost and 20th-Century Design, Cleveland, 2000, cover and pp. xviii and 88-95
Alastair Duncan, American Art Deco, New York, 1986, p. 117
Richard Guy Wilson, Dianne H. Pilgrim and Dickran Tashjian, The Machine Age in America, 1918-1941, New York, 1986. p. 291
Janet Kardon, ed., Craft in the Machine Age, 1920-1945: The History of Twentieth-Century American Craft, New York, 1995, p. 55
Karen McCready, Art Deco & Modernist Ceramics, London, 1995, p. 115
Henry Adams, Viktor Schreckengost and 20th-Century Design, Cleveland, 2000, cover and pp. xviii and 88-95
Condition
Overall in excellent condition. This piece was executed circa 2006 under the authority and direction of Viktor Schreckengost. This bowl bears an original signature of the artist, unlike the examples executed in the 1930s. In addition this piece is also marked with the foundation inventory tag. This bowl has been examined under blacklight and shows no evidence of restoration. The coloration of the bowl when viewed in person shows wonderful nuance and precision in the glaze work. A true masterwork and icon of American design that portrays a rich narrative of a singular night spent in New York City.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
Just a few months after joining Cowan Pottery in 1930, Viktor Schreckengost was randomly assigned the task to design a punch bowl displaying a ''New Yorkish'' theme for a woman in New York City. Unbeknownst to Schreckengost, the woman who commissioned the punch bowl was Eleanor Roosevelt. Upon receiving the finished bowl, Mrs. Roosevelt was so pleased that she commissioned Cowan to produce two additional examples, one for her home in Hyde Park and the second to present to her husband upon winning the upcoming presidential election. Cowan subsequently put the punch bowl into production.
The iconography decorating the bowl's exterior epitomizes the sights and sounds of New York's Jazz Age. The graphic narrative portrays a ''night on the town'' in New York City, depicting images of dancers, glowing street lamps, a clock that reads ''3:30'' in the morning, the neon signs of Times Square, towering skyscrapers, musical instruments, cocktail goblets and liquor bottles. The interior is suitably decorated with stars and rising bubbles.
This bowl is a lifetime edition by Viktor Schreckengost. It has been authenticated by The Viktor Schreckengost Foundation and is referenced under number 3715.