Bronze vase Gustav Gurschner ca. 1905

Gustav Gurschner ranks among the most important sculptors and metal artists of the Viennese Jugendstil and left a lasting mark on Viennese decorative arts around 1900 with his distinctive formal language.
In a manner characteristic of Gurschner, this bronze vessel is strikingly divided into two sections. The upper part of the vase is richly adorned with a continuous, Etruscan-inspired relief decoration. Ist oval, slightly bulbous form, combined with the finely executed bronze ornamentation and the greenish patinated base, creates a harmonious synthesis of Gurschner’s ornamental inventiveness, his engagement with archaic decorative forms, and a modern, timeless aesthetic.