Late 20th Century (80s - 1999)

THE ITEM
This stunning work is of Modernist art glass is a celebration of the highly skilled Murano Sommerso technique. Sommerso is one of the most famous Murano techniques, ['Sommerso' translation: 'submerged']. Sommerso is used to create several layers of glass (usually with different contrasting colours) inside a single object, giving the illusion of immersed' colours without mixing. This technique is easily recognisable; characterised by an outer 'casing' of clear glass and the thick 'bands' of coloured glass inside it.

This particular piece has the sought after triple-layer Sommerso, beginning with a core of Apple green, the next layer is vibrant Ocean blue and the final layer is a graduating Magenta pink. The work is finished with the wings of Azure blue which flourish with a flare at the rim.

The cased layers are arranged in an abstract pitcher shape with a gently exaggerated rim. The effect of each colour is similar to freezing the moment in time when a paintbrush is dipped into water and the colour ripples outwards.

This exceptional piece is unique as it features Kintsugi golden seams following a careful repair and highlighting process and even rarer as Kintsugi is typically applied to repairing ceramics rather than glass. The Kintsugi technique used is modern and has been applied in a tactile manner, a striking compliment to the colour palette of this piece.

CONDITION
Excellent. This piece has been carefully repaired using a robust water-resistant and durable resin. There is natural and very mild surface wear that is commensurate with the age of the piece.

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 7.8" / 20 cm tall by c. 4.3" / 11 cm width (across body's widest point). Base diameter: c. 1.8" / 4.5 cm. Depth: c. 2.4" / 6 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 1.1 kg / 1,135 g

NOTES
Vase will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

Kintsugi is a Japanese philosophy with similarities to the philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, which includes ideas surrounding the embracing of the flawed or imperfect. The art of Kintsugi ("golden joinery") is typically the repairing of broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. The aesthetics of this philosophy values breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.

This richly detailed yet simply silhouetted studio ceramic sculpture is a work of contemporary French design.

Featured is a strong composition and fusion of techniques upon the clay as well as within the glaze. From the Sgrafitto-like etched accents, print impression to the clay to the layers of glaze which have been brush-painted and dripped. The colour palette is a harmonious blend of earth tones. The colours range across a spectrum of browns with some emphasised in a metallic tint and extends into the glossy Red Earth hues.

The sculpture features a combination of design influences from the Modernist celebration of functional form to the Brutalist ' celebration of raw materials. Crafted with a centralised reservoir, this piece is well suited to function as an Ikebana and indeed, both the form and colours hint at Japanese Raku pottery.

CONDITION
Excellent. There is mild use wear in the form of movement marks on the underside of the base that is commensurate with the age of the piece. Mentioned for completeness: There is a hairline fracture on the underside of the base, however, this is from the crafting process and not damage or defect, it is also not visible when the piece is upright and on display. Please refer to photographs as they form part of the condition report. The piece is signed towards the base of one side panel.

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 5.5" / 14 cm tall (from base to tallest point) x c. 3.5" / 8.8 cm width (across widest point). Depth: c. 2" / 5.1 cm (from front to back). Unpackaged weight: c. 0.5 kg / 500 g

NOTES
Sculpture will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

THE ITEM
This vivaciously spirited and tactile composition is by German artist Bea Schröder from Atelier MicMac, Düsseldorf, Germany.

This particular piece is an earlier work that incorporates a broad spectrum of techniques as well as multiple media types, brought together to create an expression of Schröder's pictographic and symbol-based 'MicMac' art form.

Schröder's MicMac repertoire includes translations of hieroglyphs, petroglyphs from the ancient times, modern iconographic signs of our time, as well as symbols from the Mi'kmaq Indians, one of the First Nations who still live in Canada.

From an interview with the artist; "You don't need an ethnologist to decipher it. You just have to listen to your inner voice." “You recognize the signs, even if you don't know them. The brain begins to work with them and develop their own interpretations.”

CONDITION
Superb. There is negligible age wear that is commensurable with the age of the piece, please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report. The bottom right corner of the painting is signed with Schröder's signature and dated to 1996.

MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 19.7" / 50 cm tall x c. 19.7" / 50 cm width. Depth: c. 1.2" / 3 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 1.6 kg / 1,630 gm.

NOTES
Painting will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.

A BIT OF HISTORY
Schröder has been a freelance artist since 1992 and enjoyed such success that she went on to establish her own art studio Atelier MicMac in Dusseldorf, Germany.

In Schröder's own words, her art form is MicMac, inspired by her first encounter with the emotional power of symbols used by the Mi'kmaq Indians, one of the First Nations who still live in Canada.

She has incorporated many of the Mi'kmaq symbols into her art as well as being inspired by the bright colours and simple symbols from the Neolithic caves, which were originally used by people to communicate within their communities. Schroder says “Today's caves are homes and workplaces" and translates hieroglyphs and petroglyphs from ancient times into contemporary symbolic languages. She sees her art of communication and motivation as "cave painting for the 21st century".