Vase with Etruscan ornamentation Gustav Gurschner ca. 1905

With his unmistakable formal language, the Jugendstil artist Gustav Gurschner played a defining role in Viennese decorative arts around 1900. Characteristic of Gurschner’s work, this bronze vessel is strikingly divided into two distinct zones. The upper section of the vase is encircled by a relief decoration composed of two bands of archaic-inspired ornament. Among the motifs are symbols such as the spiral and the looped square, or endless knot, while the surrounding sculpted dots evoke the appearance of riveted metalwork.

The ornamentation stands out vividly against the darkly patinated base. The vessel is an excellent example of Gurschner’s inventive decorative imagination, his engagement with archaic ornamental forms, and his distinctly modern, timeless visual language.