Beschreibung:

Castor assis en grès Böttger, Meissen, circa 1923 A Meissen Böttger stoneware model of a seated beaver, circa 1923Modelled by August Gaul on a high rectangular plinth, inscribed 'A.GAUL' on the side, 40cm high; 48cm across, crossed swords mark to rear of base, incised crossed swords mark, incised model number G.290, impressed 'Böttger/Steinzeug', incised L 209, impressed 59 (repaired)FootnotesProvenance: Max Esser (1885-1945); Acquired directly from the Estate of the above Modelled in 1917. Three days after his appointment as director of the Meissen manufactory on 1st November 1918, Max Adolf Pfeiffer travelled to Berlin and took the opportunity to visit both Paul Scheurich and the renowned sculptor Professor August Gaul both of whom had promised Pfeiffer new models. Gaul died on 18 October 1921, however, and so a contract was made with his heirs in early 1922 for the purchase of 18 animal models and a female mask. Max Esser was a student of August Gaul's and worked in his studio between 1904 and 1915: "Because of my work with the [Meissen] manufactory, shortly before his death I was able to interest Gaul greatly in this material, porcelain, as well as Böttger stoneware, such that he wanted to make various of his models available for this material and gave me a free hand for their translation into ceramics. After his death, I proposed to the trustees, Prof. Ebbinghaus, [Ernst] Barlach and [Paul] Cassirer, 20 works from the estate that lent themselves particularly to production in porcelain or Böttger stoneware" (quoted by Marusch-Krohn 1993, p. 118). Esser was charged with supervising the production of Gaul's models and with finishing the Urstücke [artist's proofs]. On 19 May 1923, Max Adolf Pfeiffer specified that Max Esser should receive an example of each of August Gaul's models.