A large, extraordinary and magnificent trophy as the winner's prize at the XVI. German national shooting competition in Hamburg
Alexander Schönauer (München 1871 - Hamburg 1955)
Lot-No. 990
Hamburg, 1909. Silver, cast, chased, chiselled, engraved and partially gilded. The hallmark '800' with the crescent moon and crown, city mark of Hamburg and maker's mark 'A. SCHÖNAUER'. Malachite. A magnificent Roman-shaped trophy, chased of two sheets of silver: Ogival arches are surrounding the huge round foot, in between stylized lillies of the valley and scalloped ornament. The outer side of the cup shows a continuous frieze of leaves and forest animals. The cover is chased of one sheet of silver: Crowning this is a fist-sized malachite in silver-gilded foliage, on the top - as the patron of the marksmen and their guilds - St Hubertus with the deer. H. 75 cm, diam. 35 cm. - This magnificent trophy donated by the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg was the winner's prize at the XVI. National German shooting competition from July 5-13, 1909. Together with the gold medal of the Senate the prize trophy-award was awarded to the master painter Hermann Raabe after his win. The Senate offered to Raabe a cash amount of 3000 Goldmark for the bowl to be returned to the Hamburg city council silver, but Raabe declined the offer. - The goldsmith Alexander Schönauer who had a predeliction for huge representative works demonstrated his competence in combining historical style elements with elements of the Art Nouveau: He skillfully distorted the baroque Roman form with late-Gothic peaks around the foot and historical ornaments into the formal language of the art nouveau. Prov.: from a private collection in northern Germany.- Alexander Schönauer ranks among the most influential goldsmiths between Historicism and Art Nouveau leaving 'a work of remarkable diversity, opulence and fineness'. His extraordinary talents were recognized early. After completing an apprenticeship in the master studio of Fritz von Miller in Munich and studies in Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam Justus Brinckmann, the founder and director of the Museum of Decorative Arts was able to convince Alexander Schönauer to move to Hamburg and to establish his own workshop. In 1896 he created the famous ostrich egg cup for the industrialist and collector Theodor Heye thus demonstrating his perfect technical skills. In the following years he was contracted to create nearly all gifts of honour, centrepieces etc. for the new Hamburg city council silver. He then became goldsmith of the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City. In 1900 he received a gold medal at the Paris Exposition, from 1906 to 1934 he headed the metal's and goldsmith's class at the Landeskunstschule Hamburg, in 1945 the Golden Ring of Honour of the Society for goldsmith's Art. Famous past pupils include Otto Stüber (1885-1973) and Christoph Kay (1869-1943), the main representatives of the 'Hamburg Art déco'. Comp.: K. Hüseler: Alexander Schönauer, sein Leben und sein Werk, Hamburg, 1946 (unpublished manuscript); H. Jedding: Ausst. Kat. Historismus, Hamburg, 1977, p. 489, further literature references; E. Schliemann (ed.): Die Goldschmiede Hamburgs, Hamburg 1985, vol. I., p. 113-116 a. 218-226; M. Heyl (ed.): Der Hamburger Silberschatz, München, 1997.
Alexander Schönauer: A large, extraordinary and magnificent trophy as the winner's prize at the XVI. German national shooting competition in Hamburg
Alexander Schönauer (München 1871 - Hamburg 1955)
A large, extraordinary and magnificent trophy as the winner's prize at the XVI. German national shooting competition in Hamburg
Lot-No. 990
Hamburg, 1909. Silver, cast, chased, chiselled, engraved and partially gilded. The hallmark '800' with the crescent moon and crown, city mark of Hamburg and maker's mark 'A. SCHÖNAUER'. Malachite. A magnificent Roman-shaped trophy, chased of two sheets of silver: Ogival arches are surrounding the huge round foot, in between stylized lillies of the valley and scalloped ornament. The outer side of the cup shows a continuous frieze of leaves and forest animals. The cover is chased of one sheet of silver: Crowning this is a fist-sized malachite in silver-gilded foliage, on the top - as the patron of the marksmen and their guilds - St Hubertus with the deer. H. 75 cm, diam. 35 cm. - This magnificent trophy donated by the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg was the winner's prize at the XVI. National German shooting competition from July 5-13, 1909. Together with the gold medal of the Senate the prize trophy-award was awarded to the master painter Hermann Raabe after his win. The Senate offered to Raabe a cash amount of 3000 Goldmark for the bowl to be returned to the Hamburg city council silver, but Raabe declined the offer. - The goldsmith Alexander Schönauer who had a predeliction for huge representative works demonstrated his competence in combining historical style elements with elements of the Art Nouveau: He skillfully distorted the baroque Roman form with late-Gothic peaks around the foot and historical ornaments into the formal language of the art nouveau. Prov.: from a private collection in northern Germany.- Alexander Schönauer ranks among the most influential goldsmiths between Historicism and Art Nouveau leaving 'a work of remarkable diversity, opulence and fineness'. His extraordinary talents were recognized early. After completing an apprenticeship in the master studio of Fritz von Miller in Munich and studies in Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam Justus Brinckmann, the founder and director of the Museum of Decorative Arts was able to convince Alexander Schönauer to move to Hamburg and to establish his own workshop. In 1896 he created the famous ostrich egg cup for the industrialist and collector Theodor Heye thus demonstrating his perfect technical skills. In the following years he was contracted to create nearly all gifts of honour, centrepieces etc. for the new Hamburg city council silver. He then became goldsmith of the Senate of the Free and Hanseatic City. In 1900 he received a gold medal at the Paris Exposition, from 1906 to 1934 he headed the metal's and goldsmith's class at the Landeskunstschule Hamburg, in 1945 the Golden Ring of Honour of the Society for goldsmith's Art. Famous past pupils include Otto Stüber (1885-1973) and Christoph Kay (1869-1943), the main representatives of the 'Hamburg Art déco'. Comp.: K. Hüseler: Alexander Schönauer, sein Leben und sein Werk, Hamburg, 1946 (unpublished manuscript); H. Jedding: Ausst. Kat. Historismus, Hamburg, 1977, p. 489, further literature references; E. Schliemann (ed.): Die Goldschmiede Hamburgs, Hamburg 1985, vol. I., p. 113-116 a. 218-226; M. Heyl (ed.): Der Hamburger Silberschatz, München, 1997.
