Centerpiece with herms Michael Powolny Wiener Keramik 1907

Designed by Michael Powolny, this Herm centrepiece is a characteristic work of Wiener Keramik dating from the period between 1906 and 1912. Although the firm’s production at this time consisted primarily of utilitarian ceramics, its designs were distinguished by a consistently high artistic standard. Powolny excelled in combining functional objects with sculptural modelling and a clear, restrained formal vocabulary.
While many Wiener Keramik centrepieces are supported by putti or other playful figures, Powolny adopted a more austere, classically inspired approach for this model. Two stylized female herms support a gilt bowl upon their heads. The herm—originally an ancient sculptural form consisting of a pillar surmounted by a head and shoulders—is here translated into a modern idiom in keeping with the aesthetics of the Jugendstil.

The white earthenware body provides a striking contrast to the delicate gilding of the bowl. The deliberately restrained colour palette recalls the refined aesthetic of the Vienna Secession and underscores the timeless appeal of Powolny’s design.