Cockatoo And Ara Majolica Nymphenburg Joseph Wackerle (1880-1959) Circa 1910 H. 57 / 56 Cm

Cockatoo and Nymphenburg Majolica Macaw Joseph Wackerle (1880-1959) around 1910 H. 57 resp. 56 cm Very good state of conservation (only the tail feathers of the cockatoo are a little damaged at the end) Cf: Neumeister, München, 29.3.2023, Nr. 65 and 66, with repairs and scratches (€10,790) Until oday, the Nymphenburg manufactory produced porcelain art exclusively for interiors, with over and under glaze paints. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was decided to produce large figurative sculptures as well as animal sculptures in colored majolica. Works made with this robust technique lent themselves to installation in open spaces as well as building sculpture outdoors. From the start, the entire production and decoration was tailor-made for Josef Wackerle, who was artistic director of the factory from 1906 to 1909. It was during these years that these parrots or macaws which were presented for the first time at the Universal Exhibition in Brussels. In the German pavilion, Gabriel von Seidl designed a distinguished wine restaurant, in the niches of which were among others the "parrot with cherry", the "cockatoo with flower basket" as well as the "macaw with garland". For the installation in the Botanical Garden in Munich, Wackerle additionally modeled a fourth "Parrot with mask", which Theodor Körner made in 1915 in majolica. The novelty of this sculpture is the addition of certain attributes such as the two masks, black and white, which signify tragedy and comedy, as well as the pan flute which represents bucolic music. - The botanical garden was the most modern of its kind in Germany. It combines purely scientific aspects with aesthetic requirements. Thus, Wackerle's four bird sculptures form the corners of the decorative courtyard, which constitutes a special pleasure garden with entrance and exit. Wackerle readily drew inspiration from Meissen's figurative bird sculpture of the 18th century, his model being for example Kaendler's parrot on flower basket, of identical composition. His series of parrots was produced in two different sizes (I and II), once for public display, but also in a smaller version for private gardens. It is the latter type that is involved in this couple. Inv. no. 1,002 5,800 €