grass ns ghts / outlooks - arnoldsche.com ins buch... · 22 cooler from the swan service (detail)...

This book grants unexpected, inspiring and provoking insights into the diversity of the collection of treasures held in Leipzig’s GRASSI Museum of Applied Arts. Focusing on the joy of contemplating the works, its hope is to awaken the desire for a personal encounter with them. The sequence of illustrations highlights exciting connections, diversions and views between the objects. Chronological records or even the stringent arrangement of the collections and materials play no role here, instead, detached from their usual context and moved to another level of perception, the objects reveal surprisingly novel, latent qualities that are frequently otherwise hidden. In this book the works meet face to face – sometimes to be taken with a wink. They talk about the fascination of the museum collection in their very own way.

|ns

|gh

ts

/ ou

tlo

ok

s · G

RASS | M

useum of A

pplied Arts Leipzig

ISBN 978-3-89790-456-9

|ns|ghts / outlooksGRASS| Museum of Applied Arts Leipzig

A Journey through the Collections

Bezug_englisch.indd 1 29.05.15 20:43

6

With these words, Hansjörg Koch, who together with his wife Herta is among our major donors and sponsors, described his joy

in the growing collections and in the regained beauty of the architectural shell worthy of its rank.

As one of Europe’s oldest museums for arts and crafts, today’s GRASSI Museum of Applied Arts has been able to establish a

significant object inventory over the decades since its inauguration in 1874. The timeframe spans from Antiquity to the present day.

The arts and crafts and design collections represent the lion’s share of the holdings. They are enriched and supplemented by

special collections, such as the collection of graphic sheets with ornamental engravings and illustrations or historic book and

photography collections.

Initially quite pragmatically designed as a collection of models for local craftsmanship and burgeoning industry, the museum

soon turned into a treasury of the education-conscious Leipzig citizenry, in order to finally distinguish itself as a reflection of the

respectively current Modern Age. Always with the objective to not only document the development, but also to directly participate.

War and post-war events resulted in a number of painful losses. The severe bomb damage and the subsequent dramatic structural

decay of the Grassi Museum banned the largest part of the collections, which remained unscathed, into the depths of the depots

for decades. During the forty years of the Iron Curtain almost completely cut off from the international art scene, later and until

today without regular purchasing means, nevertheless, since the 1990s, an expansion of the collections could be achieved, which

until then was unparalleled in quantity as well as quality. Thanks to private donations and contributions as well as due to the

commitment of prominent sponsors, which above all also include our society of friends, outstanding individual pieces, but also

comprehensive and just as top-class conglomerations contributed to the extension of our collection profile.

Since the structural restoration started in 2000, today, the Grassi Museum can be experienced as a treasury again. With its roof

crown, the so-called “golden pineapple”, radiating its charisma far into the city, with its column hall revelling in the burst of colours

of Art Deco, or the soberly austere Bauhaus windows by Josef Albers in stark contrast thereto, the building itself turns out to be

an exhibit of impressive size.

“A house full of wonders – a wonderful house”

Pralinenband_englisch.indd 6 29.05.15 15:11

7

The three circuits of the permanent exhibition, opened in stages between 2007 and 2012, and the special exhibition areas present

a representative spectrum of our collections from Antiquity to the present day on around 5,000 m². However, measured by the

wealth of the holdings, only a comparatively small part can be presented permanently.

This volume is to grant an insight into the diversity of the collection of treasures beyond the exhibits. In that, we did not focus

on chronological records or even the stringent arrangement of the collections or materials. The book gives us the freedom, unlike

with a permanent presentation, to play with the objects.

For us, it was about awakening the desire for a personal encounter with the objects and effecting joy upon contemplating this

book. Detaching the known objects from their usual context and moving them to a different level of perception, unexpected

perspectives can result. In that, we discovered qualities in many pieces, which so far had been hidden even to us, although we

thought to know them well.

By no means did we only chose the most precious works, but looked for meaningful correspondences. Thus, highlights of the

collections stand right next to works only rarely or so far never publicly shown.

Often it is formal parallels, sometimes related or complementing colour compositions or structures, sometimes it is the contents

or the function of the objects, which tempted us to relate most diversified works with one another. Extraordinary image sections

or extreme magnifications likewise create surprisingly new impressions. Thus, miniatures suddenly turn into monumental pieces

and reveal details, which delight the eye, not to mention the astonishment about the otherwise almost hidden virtuosity of the

execution. Sometimes, unexpectedly surreal images are created. Existing trains of thought are loosely linked, can be pursued, and

thus maybe provoke new, completely individual points of view.

The objects meet face to face – sometimes to be taken with a wink – and in their very own way talk about the beauty and di-

versity of our collection, which surely will also continue to grow in the future.

Eva Maria Hoyer Olaf Thormann

Dedicated to all friends and sponsors of our museum.


Two objectsErnst Häusermann

Lenzburg (Switzerland), 1993

Wood, assembled, painted in red;

porcelain, hand-built, assembled

Height 78 cm or 77 cm, resp.

Donated by the artist, 2014

Inv.No. 2014.398/399

Window from the Altenberg cloister-cycle with the vision of St Bernhard of Clairvaux in the Christmas NightCologne (Master of St Severin?), around

1505–1520

Black and yellow stain painting on

polychrome glass, partially etched; lead

Height 119 cm, width 88 cm

Purchased from Deutsche Gesellschaft,

Leipzig, 1909

Inv.No. 1909.254 b

18


19

Pralinenband_deutsch.indd 19 29.05.15 17:12

22

Cooler from the Swan Service (detail)Design: Johann Joachim Kaendler and

Johann Friedrich Eberlein

Modeller: Johann Friedrich Eberlein, 1739

Porzellanmanufaktur Meissen, 1739

Porcelain, glazed

Height 27.5 cm, width 74 cm, depth 46.1 cm

Donated by Gesellschaft der Freunde des

Kunstgewerbemuseums Leipzig, 1911

Inv.No. 1911.92

Flounce (detail)Alençon (France), 2nd third of the 18th

century

Linen, sewing technique, Alençon lace type

Length 63 cm, width 210 cm

Purchased in 1927

Inv.No. 1927.1


23


24


25

The actor Ichikawa Danjûrô II as a samuraiTorii Kiyomasu II

Edo (Tokyo), Japan, between 1720 and 1735

Woodblock printing, black print, coloured by

hand in pink, yellow, brown, “gold dust”

(sprinkled with brass powder)

Height 30.8 cm, width 13.8 cm

Purchased from the Woldemar von Seidlitz

Collection, Dresden, 1904, previously Charles

Gillot Collection, Paris

Inv.No. B.1904.7

BoxLouis Comfort Tiffany, Glass & Decorating

Company

New York, probably 1899

Copper, wrought, gilded on the inside;

painter’s enamel

Height 8.2 cm, diameter 8.8 cm

Acquired from Siegfried Bing, L‘Art Nouveau,

Paris, 1900

Inv.No. 1901.498 a/b


Plate from a service with colourful Indian flowersAdam Friedrich von Löwenfinck

Fulda, around 1741/44

Faience, polychrome on-glaze painting

Height 2.3 cm, diameter 23.5 cm

Donated by Rosenbaum, Frankfurt/Main, 1926

Inv.No. 1926.90

Bust “Sebastian”Rosi Steinbach

Leipzig, 2011/12

Hard-fired clay, glazed, painted

Height 52 cm, width 45 cm, depth 25 cm

Acquired in the Leipzig art trade, 2012

Inv.No. 2012.11

26


27


36

BroochRenate Heintze

Halle/Saale, 1969

Gold, folded, granulated


Acquired in 1969

Inv.No. V 5393

“Spiral luminaire”Design: Verner Panton, Basle, 1970

Execution: J. Lüber, Basle

Plastic, perlon strings

Height approx. 235 cm,

diameter approx. 58 cm

Acquired from private property, 1999

Inv.No. 1999.11


37


42


Red coatDolce & Gabbana

Italy, 2008

New wool, patent leather

Length 81 cm

Donated by Vivian Schmitter, Hamburg, 2014

Inv.No. 2014.403 a/b

Jug 11/16Lutz Könecke

Großenrode, 2011

Stoneware, thrown, cut, assembled, glazed

Height 55.5 cm, diameter 18 cm

Donated by Society of Friends of the

Museum, Grassimesse fair 2014

Inv.No. 2014.357 a/b

43


54


The dancer “Chiarina” from the “Russian Ballet”Model: Paul Scheurich, 1913

Execution: Königliche Porzellanmanufaktur

Meissen, around 1914

Porcelain, enamel paint ornaments

Height 26.3 cm

Acquired from the manufacturer, 1915

Inv.No. 1915.77

Phono device “Braun SK 5”Design: Dieter Rams and Hans Gugelot, 1958

Execution: Braun AG, Frankfurt/Main, 1958

Elmwood, Plexiglas, metal, varnished


Donated by the Herta and Hansjörg Koch

Collection, Lörrach, 2009

Inv.No. 2009.1084

55


68

Rocking cart for childrenDesign: Hans Brockhage and Erwin Andrä

(under the direction of Mart Stam in the work-

shop for toys at the Dresden Academy of Fine

Arts), 1950

Execution: Siegfried Lenz, Berggießhübel near

Pirna, 1950’s

Beech wood, laminated wood, rubber wheels


Donated from private property, 2011

Inv.No. 2011.820

Children’s chair (model B 34 ½)Design: Marcel Breuer, Berlin, around 1930

Execution: Thonet, Frankenberg (Hesse),

probably from 1930 on

Tubular steel, chrome-plated; beech wood

armrests, varnished; iron yarn fabric

Height 61.5 cm, width 41 cm, depth 51 cm

Acquired from the Peter Körtge Collection,

Leipzig, 1999

Inv.No. 1999.24


69


88

19-piece service “La Boule”Design: Helen von Boch and Federigo

Fabbrini, 1971

Execution: Villeroy & Boch, Mettlach

(Saarland)

Earthenware, glazed

Closed: height 28 cm, diameter 27 cm

Donated from private property in Berlin,

2008

Inv.No. 2008.8 a–s

Children’s book“Die Wunderfahrt: Lustige Bilder” by

Sándor Bortnyik with verses of Albert

Sixtus. Leipzig: Alfred Hahns Verlag

Dietrich & Sell, around 1929

Illustration printing in colour lithography

Book page: height 21 cm, width 18.3 cm

Donated by Heinz-Joachim Theis, Berlin,

1996

Inv.No. K 34847 8° (B.1996.25)


89


142


143

“Magical pocket dress”Olga von Moorende

Munich, 1997

Cotton, tulle, jersey, zippers, pearls

Length 63 cm

Donated by Society of Friends of the

Museum, Grassimesse fair 1998

Inv.No. 1998.242 a–c

Twisted screw-lid jarSouthern German, 1st half of the 18th

century

Tin, cast

Height 22.6 cm, diameter 11 cm

Purchased in 1908. Formerly Eduard

Kahlbau Collection, Stuttgart

Inv.No. 1908.234 a/b


144


Leather panel with a décor of symbols and everyday items (detail)Japan, Meiji period, 1870s/1880s

Leather, pressed, partially

painted and gilded

Length 60.4 cm, width 59.4 cm

Purchased in London, 1890

Inv.No. V 7931

Large plate depicting Alexander in front of Diogenes (Detail)Fontana Workshop (Orazio

Fontana?)

Urbino, around 1560/1565

Majolica, polychrome painting

Diameter 44.1 cm, height 4.9 cm

Donated by Gesellschaft der

Freunde des Kunstgewerbe-

museums Leipzig, 1909

Inv.No. 1909.230

145


190


191

“Vessel according to Klee No. 9”Gordon Baldwin

Market Drayton/Shropshire (Great

Britain), 2002

Hard-fired clay, hand-built; surface

textured, incised, multiple layers

of slip, in part glazed

Height 50 cm, diameter 25 cm

Donated by the Petra Verberne

Collection, The Netherlands, 2011

Inv.No. 2011.643

Portanier

Wall plate (detail)Gilbert Portanier

Vallauris (France), 2010

Low-fired clay, pressed into the

mould; painting with oxide paints

Diameter 60 cm

Donated by the artist, 2014

Inv.No. 2014.28


204


205

SecrétaireFriedrich Gottlob Hoffmann

Leipzig, around 1795

Base wood: spruce, pine; drawers and interior: lime,

cherry; veneer: mahogany, maple, partially stained;

inlays: polychrome painting, oil on iron sheet; in the

tympanum: medallion in Wedgwood porcelain; writing

surfaces: felt; fittings: brass casting, brass sheet,

pressed, partially fire-gilded

Height 185 cm, width 111 cm, depth 61.5 cm

Permanent loan from the Ernst von Siemens

Kunststiftung foundation, Munich, since 2006

Inv.No. 2006.19

Calendar board showing the month of the year and the Leipzig coat of armsJohann Philipp I. Stenglin

Augsburg, 1698

Inscription: “SIGILLVM, IVDICII, LIPSENS”

Founder’s inscription: “D.SAM.FRID: RAPPOLD”

Silver, wrought, sawn, punched, engraved;

parchment, polychrome painted; wooden support

plate, with silver foil attached at the front


Old property of the Leipzig Council, taken over

around 1900

Inv.No. V 409


242


The mythical bird Phoenix and a crayfish on sea waves (detail)Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Edo (Tokyo), Japan, around 1837

Woodblock printing, multi-coloured print

in faded yellow or brown, various shades

of blue, red, black


Purchased in 1898

Inv.No. B.V. 2

VaseEmile Gallé

Nancy, around 1900

Glass, flashed; intermediate layer décor;

melted powder inclusions; air-bubble

inclusions

Height 17 cm, width 10.7 cm

Donated by Sparkasse Leipzig on the

occasion of the 125-year anniversary

of the museum in 1999. From the

Giorgio Silzer Collection, Hanover

Inv.No. 1999.41

243


295


grass ns ghts / outlooks - arnoldsche.com ins buch... · 22 cooler from the swan service (detail)...

Documents