Featured WMF jugendstil items. from what era ?

an alltime favorite with Jugendstil collectors are items by WMF in copper (and very often with brass handles...)
are they really from the Jugendstil era as many buyers think ? not all.
the main point - zinc coating, especially inside pitchers etc.. this process started in the 1930s only in mass production (which WMF was).
another problem with WMF is the marking. the simple birdie with or without model-no. was one of the most faked marks in its time.
here a few examples from the bay-you.








the middle one is zinced brass sheet, partly deep drawn.
they are on offer right now. prices asked from top to bottom: 110 €, 195 €, 60 €.

one question remains. when were they made ? nobody has exact informations because WMF doesn't give any info for "those years". one thing is certain- after 1945 the sheets got thinner, and the pitchers weighed less than before the 1930s.
to complicate things further they started to use labels in the 1950s instead of marks, especially on cheaply made deep drawn bread baskets and other simple forms, that wash off easily.
I already excuse to all the metal specialists - yawnyawn I know. but it's raining outside and nothing to do.

 

Regarding the top one, the person in this link is claiming it to be a true Art Nouveau period piece. But Worthpoint has past eBay listings, so take with a grain of salt.

Maybe someone here who has a Worthpoint account can look up the sold price for you just to get an idea of what it sold for on eBay (or create a free account that will at least give you access to the price today):

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/wmf-art-nouveau-wine-claret-decanter-1695992556

 

WMF has been copied for some time, sometimes as intended fakes, sometimes as copies or repros.
Here is a site with other popular WMF repros:
https://senses-artnouveau.com/reproductions.php

 

Here is the best information on WMF markings I can find....

http://www.ascasonline.org/windowfebbra105.html

The simple ostrich in a diamond (rhombus) was generally used 1925-30 according to the site. It often is erroneously attributed to the earlier period of 1903-10. That mark used an ostrich in a diamond but was contained within a box.

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I imagine that marks were used inconsistently and that any dating must be considered a generalization. Jugendstil styled items would have been terribly old fashioned by the late 30s and I would think the ensuing war ended production of such items entirely.

 

I'd do the same as vendor.

 

true to some extent but not for all models. pure Jugendstil was defined as 1895 (start of the magazine Die Jugend) and 1905. WWI cut off the production but in 1918 certain forms persisted because there was no evolution or new trends developed during the war - except perhaps parts of the Futurismo.
my main point was another one - not limited to this theme. do we want to buy out-of-era stuff for exaggerated prices ? because the three shown are priced too high IMO. better wait and buy a real one.

 

I don't want to buy anything at exaggerated prices any more. The market has dictated lower values and, consequently, lower prices. Dealers who still try to get top dollar for run-of-the-mill items are out of step. As a dealer, I have learned that I need to buy for pennies on the dollar to be able to make any kind of realistic profit in this market. Profit margins can be very good if you can do so but total dollar profit can only be sustained by increased volume.

As a collector I am willing to pay a bit more for things but not like in the old days. Seldom do I pay more than $100.00 for anything. In the past, my collecting appetite would spring for items 3 to 4 times that without blinking. There is plenty of merchandise out there at lower price points to assuage me.

 

WMF was the first brand I got rid off already 10 years ago. contrary to English arts and crafts the Germans had the idea of massproducing nice and elegant stuff for small prices in good quality for the new middle-classes. Orivit, Osiris, Orion, Norica off when it isn't an elegant figure. same with ceramics. better a rare item by Luber - the rare Norista ones - than a plethora of middle of the road stuff.
it's also a question of place available. so I rather pay a few thousand for an Albert Reimann or Gustav Gurschner lamp than a heap of copper or pewter.

 

showed up haphazardly a typical "in the style of" WMF basket this morning. the pattern is WMF. 20 € asking price, ridiculous.

 

another problem I have is downsizing because I want to buy a bigger house. what to get rid of and what to keep ?

 

Keep those.

 

the first one is a pub ashtray from France "after" a well known subject. brass casting.
second one is a Urania Holland coin tray.
the most interesting one is the beer mug by Reinemann & Lichtinger München - in very good condition and VERY rare.
most probably I keep the last one only.

 

keeper

 

although nice - religious ? or ET from Lesbos ? - will probably go.

100 % keeper. BGH Birmingham Guild of Handicraft.