Viktor Schreckengost for Cowan Pottery
Art Deco Black and Egyptian Blue Glazed Earthenware "Jazz" Bowl. Of classic form, with a deep bowl and slightly flared mouth, decorated on the exterior side with jazz-age symbols, including a champagne bottle, cocktail glasses, ocean liner, skyscrapers, men playing cards, cymbals, bass drum with the word JAZZ, etc., signed with the artist's signature on the champagne bottle's label VIKTOR SCHRECKENGOST and impressed on the underside COWAN and with the company symbol. Height 8 3/8 inches, diameter 14 inches.
A rare example of Viktor Schreckengost's iconic Jazz Bowl for Cowan Pottery. Originally commissioned by Eleanor Roosevelt when her husband was governor of New York, the design of the bowl was intended to reflect the exciting nightlife of the city in the Jazz Age. The bowl was produced in three versions and the example offered here is from the third variant. According to the artist, only twenty examples of this variant were produced. In all three variants, a total of approximately seventy-two Jazz Bowls were produced. The third variant differs from its predecessors in that it is smaller, it was made using a casting technique, which made its production more economical, it is a different shape, and it is signed with the artist's name on the label of the champagne bottle. The imagery is the same on all three variants. Fifty examples of the first variant were produced and only two or three of the second variant were made. The second variant differed from the first and third variants in that the interior side of the bowl was also decorated. The Jazz Bowl was made in four variant colors, namely, black, guava yellow, melon green (only two known examples) and Egyptian Blue, which was the most common. Only one example is currently known that was made in multiple colors. In 2006, Viktor Schrenkengost reissued his Jazz Series in collaboration with a team of fifteen students in the ceramics department at the Cleveland Institute of Art and the Viktor Schreckengost Foundation, most likely in honor of his 100th birthday. An example executed in 2006 from the reissued series and belonging to the Schreckengost Family measuring 11 3/4 inches high and 17 1/4 inches in diameter was sold at auction in New York City in 2020. It was signed, numbered and had a VSF tag number issued by the Viktor Schreckengost Foundation.
The present is a rare offering of this iconic work of the Jazz Age.
Sold for $20,480
Estimated at $15,000 - $25,000
Includes Buyer's Premium
Viktor Schreckengost for Cowan Pottery
Art Deco Black and Egyptian Blue Glazed Earthenware "Jazz" Bowl. Of classic form, with a deep bowl and slightly flared mouth, decorated on the exterior side with jazz-age symbols, including a champagne bottle, cocktail glasses, ocean liner, skyscrapers, men playing cards, cymbals, bass drum with the word JAZZ, etc., signed with the artist's signature on the champagne bottle's label VIKTOR SCHRECKENGOST and impressed on the underside COWAN and with the company symbol. Height 8 3/8 inches, diameter 14 inches.
A rare example of Viktor Schreckengost's iconic Jazz Bowl for Cowan Pottery. Originally commissioned by Eleanor Roosevelt when her husband was governor of New York, the design of the bowl was intended to reflect the exciting nightlife of the city in the Jazz Age. The bowl was produced in three versions and the example offered here is from the third variant. According to the artist, only twenty examples of this variant were produced. In all three variants, a total of approximately seventy-two Jazz Bowls were produced. The third variant differs from its predecessors in that it is smaller, it was made using a casting technique, which made its production more economical, it is a different shape, and it is signed with the artist's name on the label of the champagne bottle. The imagery is the same on all three variants. Fifty examples of the first variant were produced and only two or three of the second variant were made. The second variant differed from the first and third variants in that the interior side of the bowl was also decorated. The Jazz Bowl was made in four variant colors, namely, black, guava yellow, melon green (only two known examples) and Egyptian Blue, which was the most common. Only one example is currently known that was made in multiple colors. In 2006, Viktor Schrenkengost reissued his Jazz Series in collaboration with a team of fifteen students in the ceramics department at the Cleveland Institute of Art and the Viktor Schreckengost Foundation, most likely in honor of his 100th birthday. An example executed in 2006 from the reissued series and belonging to the Schreckengost Family measuring 11 3/4 inches high and 17 1/4 inches in diameter was sold at auction in New York City in 2020. It was signed, numbered and had a VSF tag number issued by the Viktor Schreckengost Foundation.
The present is a rare offering of this iconic work of the Jazz Age.
There is a non-professional restoration to a chip at the top rim edge; there are a few scattered small flake losses to glaze, including to the top rim edge and bottom foot rim, not of great consequence; there is crazing to the glaze and scratch/scuff marks to the interior bottom side of the bowl, commensurate with age and usage; there are scattered areas on the exterior side of the body where staining has penetrated through the glaze (this may, however, be intentional coloration to create shading or shadows, i.e., in the making); the bowl is "out of round," i.e., the width is 14 inches across in one direction and 13 1/2 inches across in the opposite direction; the bowl does not appear to have any hairline cracks to its body, however, when gently struck it has a dull thud sound, i.e., it does not resonate, suggesting perhaps an undetected condition issue; not black lighted
Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact and our Organization shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. Please contact the specialist department to request further information or additional images that may be available.
Auction: Stage & Screen, Jun 20, 2024
NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle's fourth Stage & Screen auction on June 20, 2024 attracted determined competition from collectors and fans around the world resulting in a sale total that surpassed expectations. Held in collaboration with the Entertainment Community Fund, these popular auctions offer artwork, memorabilia, props, autographs and photographs celebrating the performing arts of Theater, Hollywood, Music and Dance.
Recognizing the importance of the performing arts to the fabric of New York, Doyle is proud to donate 10% of our profit from this auction to the Entertainment Community Fund.
Sale highlights include the 1953-54 Tony Award for Best Musical presented to Charles Lederer and Luther Davis for Kismet that achieved $15,360, far surpassing its $3,000-5,000 estimate. A writer associated with the Algonquin Round Table, Charles Lederer (1910-1976) was raised in Hollywood's inner circle and worked as a journalist for Hearst Newspapers before turning his talents to Broadway. Kismet won three Tony Awards that year and ran for a successful 583 performances.
The Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund)
Featured in the sale was a group of celebrity memorabilia presented by the Entertainment Community Fund. While a portion of proceeds from every item in the auction benefited the Fund, 100% of the hammer price of these lots goes entirely to the Entertainment Community Fund.
Highlighting the group was the heavily annotated master script for the 1972 first Broadway production of Pippin that soared past its $800-1,200 estimate to realize $6,080. The winner of five Tony Awards, Pippin opened at the Imperial Theater on Broadway on October 23, 1972 and ran for nearly two thousand performances before closing in June 1977. The show was directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse with stage direction by Kathryn Doby who also served as Dance Captain and performed as a Player in the show.
Founded in 1882, the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund) is a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization for performing arts and entertainment professionals. The Fund helps address the specific needs of those in the industry, with a unique understanding of the challenges involved in a life in the arts. For further information on the Entertainment Community Fund, visit EntertainmentCommunity.org
Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for a complimentary auction evaluation. Our specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
For information, please contact
Memorabilia: Peter Costanzo, 212-427-4141, ext 248, Peter.Costanzo@Doyle.com
Artwork: Milan Tessler, 212-427-4141, ext 266, paintings@Doyle.com