Antique Pair of Art Nouveau Secessionist Vases. WMF-Stamped. Ostrich Mark. Britannia Alloy.
A lovely pair of Art Nouveau posey vases by WMF, circa 1910.
Both items are marked with the Ostrich stamp. This was the first WMF mark and introduced in 1880 and used on hollow-ware through to 1925.
The letter G under the ostrich stands for “Geislengen” which refers to Geislingen an der Steige, the German town where Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik (WMF) was founded in 1853.
Both items are also stamped with “B”, which signifies Britannia allow - an alloy of tin and antimony. The letters “OX” are also stamped that denotes oxidised and the surfaces are blackened with a solution of sulphur and potash.
The pieces were designed as vases, originally with a glass insert for a floral stem display.
The glass inserts are missing but the pair can still be displayed as fine examples of Secessionist art.
Vases:
Handle Height: 14.5cm (5.75")
Width: 7cm (2.75")
Diameter: 6cm (2.35")
Total Weight: 430g