Silver gilded casket enamelled with allegories of the seasons probably Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna circa 1885.
Viennese Neo-Renaissance. Hermann Ratzersdorfer
The products of the Ratzersdorfer factory were subsequently exhibited in Paris in 1855, London in 1871 and Vienna in 1873, where they received awards and accolades. At an exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876, his jewelry setting for the Bohemian Lobmeier glass, commissioned by Emperor Franz Joseph, was highly appreciated: of which many masterpieces were created in the style of the late Renaissance.
Shell bowl silver gilt enamel Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna late 19th century.
Interest in Renaissance art at the end of the nineteenth century inspired many European jewelers and silversmiths to create pieces in historical style. These works used natural minerals such as rock crystal, jasper, lapis lazuli, as well as mother-of-pearl and enamels. The use of rock crystal is largely associated with the unification of Austria and Hungary in 1868. On the territory of Hungary, ornamental stones have long been mined, which in this situation have become more accessible material. The firm of Hermann Ratzersdorfer was founded in 1843 and specialized in gold and silver items with historicist enamel. And, perhaps, the most remarkable and interesting works of Ratzersdorfer were vessels made of rock crystal in precious frames.
Hippocampus bowl made of carved rock crystal in a gilded silver frame with enamel height 41 cm, circa 1870.
The source of inspiration and role model for Ratzersdorfer were the products of German jewelers of the sixteenth century. In addition to enameling, his workshop also used techniques such as intarsia and niello.
In 1881, Hermann Ratzersdorfer retired, handing over the business to his son Julius, who continued under the same name. Nowadays, the work of Herman Ratzersdorfer’s workshop, often combining enamel with precious metals, rock crystal or lapis lazuli, is highly valued by collectors and is not the last place in museum showcases.
Silver gilded goblet with lid decorated with enamel height 20 cm. From the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum London.
Viennese enamels
Jug with tray in silver gilt with enamel and precious stones decorated with masks grotesques satyrs dragons and snakes.Silver gilded casket enamelled with allegories of the seasons probably, 1885.Shell bowl silver gilt enamel Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna late 19th century.2Goblet Tree of the knowledge of good and evil with figures of Adam and Eve and dove shaped pommel gilded silver enamel Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna late 19th century.Vase with figured handles in gilded silver with enamel painted with scenes of the abduction of the Sabine women Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna late 19th century.Vessel in the form of a peacock made of carved rock crystal in a gilded silver frame with enamel and precious stones height 32.5 cm Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna circa 1886.Silver gilt tray with enamel painted mythological scenes Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna 19th century.Silver gilt vase with enamel Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna 19th century.Bowl painted with scenes from astronomy lessons Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna circa 1880.Silver gilt clock with enamel surmounted by mythical animals 11 cm high Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna circa 1885.Pair of jugs in silver gilt with enamel and precious stones in the style of the 16th century Augsburg goldsmith David Altenstatter Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna circa 1880.Silver gilded casket decorated with love mythological scenes in enamel Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna circa 1880.Silver gilded vase with cat figurines on handles decorated with lapis lazuli and enamel height 13.5 cm Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna 19th century.Historicist silver gilded box decorated with enamel length 15 cm Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna circa 1870.Clock made of gilded silver and rock crystal Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna late 19th century.Rock crystal tortoise shaped box in a gilded silver frame decorated with an enamel band depicting a crocodile hunt Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna circa 1875.Rock crystal clock in a silver frame with enamel surmounted by the figure of Cupid sitting on a barrel with a glass in his hand Hermann Ratzersdorfer, 1890.Table cabinet finished in ivory and lapis lazuli with gilded silver clock supports figurines of musicians and enamel panels, late 19th century.Tankard in lapis lazuli in silver gilt with enamel Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienn.a height 16.5 cm. circa 1880.Miniature lapis lazuli mug in a gilded silver frame with enamel , 1875.Tray of gilded silver with enamel painted with scenes from the Trojan Wars in the center is a scene of a dispute between Achilles and Agamemnon about Briseis.Jug with a tray in gilded silver with enamel Hermann Ratzersdorfer Vienna late 19th century.Bowl with lid and cornucopia handles in gilded silver with enamel height 27.5 cm.Jug with a tray in gilded silver enameled with a handle in the shape of a chimeras head, 1870.Perfume box in gilded silver with enamels painted in the Flemish manner with scenes in taverns, 1867 1872.
Glassware Herman Ratzersdorfer
Rock crystal jug in silver gilded frame with enamel Hermann Ratzersdorfer height 14 cm.Tazza in the form of a shell of carved rock crystal in a gilded silver frame with enamel surmounted by the figure of Neptune. 1875.Vessel in the form of a peacock made of carved rock crystal in a gilded silver frame with enamel and precious stones. 1886.Jug made of carved rock crystal in a gilded silver frame with enamel height 31.5 cm, 1875.Perfume bottle in the form of a barrel made of rock crystal supported by two gnomes silver gilding enamel, height 13 cm late 19th century.Bowl in the shape of a fantastic bird made of carved rock crystal in a gilded silver frame with enamel, 1875.Shell shaped pitcher made of carved rock crystal in a gilded silver frame with ename, 1875.Nave made of carved rock crystal in a gilded silver frame with enamel, 1875.A jug supported by three fauns and a tray of carved rock crystal in a gilded silver frame with enamel.Vessel in the form of a rock crystal chimera in a gilded silver frame with enamel , 1870 1880.Bowl of carved rock crystal in the form of a nautilus in a gilded silver frame with enamel surmounted by a hippocampus figurine, 1870.Bowl made of carved rock crystal in a gilded silver frame with enamel, 1880.Carved rock crystal tray in a gilded silver frame with enamel Hermann Ratzersdorfe, 1875.Vessel made of carved rock crystal in the shape of a cockerel in a gilded silver frame with enamel rubies and emeralds, 1870.Rock crystal tortoise shaped box in a gilded silver frame decorated with an enamel band depicting a crocodile hunt, 1875.
