Ceramic Figurine Ernst Wahliss Vienna ca. 1911

Karl Klaus designed several important figurines for renowned Viennese ceramics manufactory Ernst Wahliss, strongly contributing to the company’s artistic reputation. This Lady with grapes and a bird, along with his iconic “Salome”-statuettes, represents the secessionist style of Serapis-faiences at its best.
Around the turn of the 20th century, the Viennese ceramics manufactory Ernst Wahliss was one of the most important faience workshops in the Austrian monarchy. The company’s huge artistic and commercial success was also due to the progressive inventive spirit of its founder Ernst Wahliss. Together with his chemists, he expanded the range of ceramic glazes to include many colors, including gold and silver, for which the patented Serapis-faiences became famous. Wahliss collaborated with well-known designers of his time such as Hans Bolek, Otto Prutscher, Karl Klaus or Emile Gallé. Their modern designs were on display in the showrooms of all major European cities like Vienna, London, Berlin, Paris and Brussels, and distributed internationally.