Bronze vase Gustav Gurschner ca. 1906

Gustav Gurschner was a foreman at the K.K. Kunst-Erzgießerei in Vienna during the commission for the gilded foliage dome of the Vienna Secession building. The distinctive laurel motif from the dome found its way into Gurschner’s own designs.
Our vase reveals several parallels to the iconic Secession building: its rectangular form, the interplay of unadorned surfaces, the decorative band of simplified geometric shapes, and the sculptural, naturalistic laurel finial all reflect key elements of Secessionist Art Nouveau. Just as symbols and figures from antiquity were integrated into the architectural design of the Vienna Secession, Gurschner similarly drew upon ancient motifs and forms in his work.