A LARGE SARREGUEMINES MAJOLICA URN AND PEDESTAL BY ALEXANDER...

Estimate

€6,000 - €10,000

A LARGE SARREGUEMINES MAJOLICA URN AND PEDESTAL BY ALEXANDER DE GEIGER (1801-1891) & PAUL DE GEIGER (1837-1913) C.1880 - 1890 the urn with stylised sunburst lion heads to either side, decorated with serpents wrapped around the handles and water reeds draped below on socle base, raised on pedestal base with geometrical design to each side and acanthus capped bracket to each corner, 172cm high Provenance: Galerie Vauclair, Paris, where acquired Sarreguemines Pottery was founded around 1790 by Nicholas-Henri and Paul-Augustin Jacobi, along with Joseph Fabry. The company gained prominence under Paul Utzschneider, who took over management in 1800 and established its reputation for exceptional majolica work, making Sarreguemines a key centre for European ceramics. Notably, its tiles were used in the Paris Métro, inaugurated in 1900. In 1836, Utzschneider’s son-in-law, Alexandre de Geiger, assumed leadership, later partnering with Villeroy & Boch to expand operations during the industrial revolution. Following the annexation of Moselle by Germany in 1871, de Geiger relocated to Paris, leaving the factory to his son, Paul de Geiger, who oversaw the establishment of new facilities in Digoin and Vitry-le-François. Despite its historical influence, Sarreguemines ceased production in 2007. Celebrated for its avant-garde designs and vividly glazed ceramics, the company’s creations—including pedestals, jardinières, and fountains—demonstrated extraordinary craftsmanship. During the late nineteenth century, European ceramic trends embraced revivalist styles and the rise of Art Nouveau, Aestheticism, and the Arts and Crafts Movement, featuring botanical and animal motifs reflected a vibrant artistic and cultural era in which Sarreguemines played a significant role.