Josef Strnact ELEPHANT W/ FEZ Tobacco Jar Antique Majolica Humidor Bohemia c. This is a rare antique Austrian Majolica Tobacco Jar known as the Josef Strnact ELEPHANT WITH FEZ Tobacco Jar. This two-piece tobacco jar, or humidor, is modeled in deep relief. And glaze are very well done. The subject is a well-attired Elephant in the form of a Tobacco Jar, or Humidor. This well-dressed elephant chap is brightly attired in a fez cap with tassel, dressy jacket with scarf, flowing pantaloons, and is barefoot. The head and shoulders form the lid top of the tobacco jar. The underside of the lid has a recessed area to put a damp sponge and is nicely fitted on the matching base. The tobacco jar has colors of pink, green, white, blue, and yellow. On the top, the inside is glazed, and underside is unglazed; the bottom rim edge is glazed. On the base, the top rim is glazed, the inside is glazed, the underside bottom is glazed, and the bottom. The underside has the relief marks in a shield J S (Josef Strnact) and the number 1969, and a stamp in manganese glaze, Made in Austria. The estimated date is circa 1910. This Josef Strnact ELEPHANT WITH FEZ Tobacco Jar is in good condition- noting that on the top lid there is a surface loss spot on the top front of the left ear 1¼ in. And two surface glaze losses under the tip of the right ear (see photos). Otherwise, condition status includes minimal normal wear and rubbing, typical crazing, minor glaze losses, firing flaws, and fretting. Overall, this work is sound, having no other chips, cracks, or major defects, and having had no apparent repairs or restorations. Please note photos have been taken in indirect sunlight; therefore, reflections and lighting spots may appear, but do not necessarily indicate defects. Please see all photos which are a part of this description. It is noted that old majolica is not inherently “perfect” – pieces were still mold formed in this era and as such have marks like little dents in the pottery which are glazed over. This is not damage- this is part of the history of old pottery and how it was made. Dimensions: 7.0 In. Tall X 4.6 In. Wide X 4.6 In Deep. This tobacco jar is European Art Pottery- majolica art pottery, from Bohemia. This style includes production techniques whereby enamel glazes and decorations are hand applied and worked in stages upon a pottery form and fired several times in a kiln. The Josef Strnact factory was founded in 1881 in the former Austrian town of Turn-Teplitz (located 50km south of Dresden, Germany). The Strnact works was a prominent factory that offered a wide product range that of many types of terracotta, majolica, and faience. Strnact opened subsidiaries over the years, and up to 1910 his factories employed over 300 people. In the late 1920s, the ownership changes, and Strnact slowly began to retire. In 1934, the complete business closed. The color palette used by Bohemian majolica makers including Josef Strnact is much more subdued than that of their Staffordshire counterparts. Much of the firm’s production reflects the transition from traditional Victorian majolica to the Art Deco style. Josef Strnact majolica was marked with the letters’JS’ that was either impressed or contained within a raised cartouche. Bohemia is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech lands in the present-day Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohemian kings, including Moravia and Czech Silesia, in which case the region is referred to as Bohemia proper as a means of distinction. Please check out my other listings with Fleurman. Please bookmark this work; Listing Category and List Price are subject to change. If you see something wrong in a listing, please send me a message and let me know and I will address the situation accordingly.
