Rare petite aiguière et son présentoir en vermeil, pierres précieuses et émail par Hermann Ratzersdorfer, Vienne vers 1875

ciselés et émaillés en ronde bosse et en basse-taille de masques, grotesques, satyres, dragons et serpents, poinçon de contrôle de Vienne 1872-1922

two small bumps - enamel very good condition - very nice and unusual piece,
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Pour un modèle approchant par Ratzersdorfer, en cristal de roche à montures en vermeil et émail, voir Sotheby's Londres, 27 mai 2004, lot 68.

Hermann Samuel, eldest son of Salomon Ratzersdorfer, a dealer in antiques and secondhand goods, was born on 16 May 1815 in Pressburg (Bratislava). According to Sigmund Mayer, Die Wiener Juden: Kommerz, Kultur, Politik, 1700-1900, Vienna, 1918, Hermann moved to Vienna in the early 1840s with the purpose of opening a factory, then the first of its kind there, to manufacture reproductions. This he is supposed to have thought would be easier than finding original examples as his father did. His first enterprise was registered in December 1843 for the production of Rococo Galanteriewaren. Following a successful showing at the Wiener Gewerbsprodukten-Ausstellung in 1845, he was authorised to expand into all branches of gold and silver work. At the London Great Exhibition of 1851, Ratzersdorfer was one of only four exhibitors from the Austrian Empire to show goldsmiths’ work, to the chagrin of the organisers who nevertheless awarded him the Jury medal for “a toilet glass in a massive wrought and embossed silver frame, weighing 135 ounces”.  Further prizes were to follow as Ratzersdorfer changed direction from reproductions of the Rococo to those of the Renaissance for which he is known today. For the ill-fated Vienna International Exhibition of 1873, he created a dazzling display of enamel and mounted crystal objects. By 1881, Hermann had handed over the reins to his son Julius who seems to have continued in business for only a few years after his father’s death in 1891.

 

Both contemporary and modern critics have disagreed about Ratzersdorfer’s motives. The denigrators point at his origins and trounce him as a cynical mass-producer of fakes who lowered standards of production as soon as he had won a certain reputation and could get away with it. Indeed there is even an unconfirmed family tradition in one line of descendants that Hermann became sickened by business and turned to religion in old age. On the other hand, his admirers see a genuinely inspired artist who strove to revive old techniques and skills. Certainly there is an undeniable and recognisable flair about Ratzersdorfer pieces not to be found in those of his many later imitators. Perhaps his intentions can best be summed up by his simple title for the wondrous objects shown in 1873: “Original works of art in rock crystal and enamel, in the style of the 16^th century”.