A Fabulous Franz Bergman “Cold Painted” Orientalist Bronze Cigarette Box Surmounted by a Bronze “Female Playing a Mandolin” Sculpture, Vienna Seccession Art Movement 19th Century

A 19th Century “cold painted” bronze cigarette box from the Vienna Art Seccession movement by Franz Bergmann ( Austria 1838-1894), one of the old masters of cold painted bronze sculptures referencing Orientalist scenes, figures and imagery. The Vienna Secessionist movement produced some of the desirable artistic creations ever made. Many notable artists such as Gustave Klimt were part of the school of art.

This fabulous box is surmounted by an Arab “woman playing a mandolin”. She seated on the top edge of a painted Persian carpet with one foot extending out. The bronze box sides are decorated in panels of Persian design elements and stamped with the number “31” under the musician and carpet. The box is lined with wood made to hold cigarettes/tobacco.  The figure and persian carpet are mostly cadmium shades of red, orange, green and silver, all with a lovely patina hue.

Cold-painted bronze’ refers to pieces cast and then decorated in several layers with so-called dust paint; the know-how for the mix of this kind of paint has been lost. The colour was not fired, hence ‘cold painted’.  

Orientalist subjects, from the 17th Century onwards, became a customary or obligatory “Grand Tour of the East” for young Victorian gentlemen as an educational “rite of passage”. Visiting countries and experiencing customs they had only ever heard about in stories, these young men were keen to show their families mementos of their experience, especially the lavish subjects of the Middle Eastern Arab world like this cigarette/tobacco box. The return trip would usually include a visit to Vienna, and here the ‘souvenir’ shops supplied a plethora of beautifully crafted sculptures with an Orientalist Arab flavour. These were often acquired to show their friends and families images of their travels.

 This Franz Bergman piece is from the Vienna Succession art movement, dating late 1800s and shows amazing historical craftsmanship details that no longer exist, qualities that are truly remarkable. A prize piece for any collector.

Dimensions: width 6.125″ x max depth 4.5″ x max height 5.5″

Stamped under the carpet as well as under the figure – “31”. also “Made in Austria”
This box is well documented as Franz Bergman – with some being signed in his signature B urn mark.