Austrian Majolica Vases with Birds by Gerbing & Stephan, 1885, Set of 2

An exceptional pair of polychrome majolica baluster vases, signed Gerbing & Stephan of Bodenbach, Austria, 1885.

The Gerbing & Stephan firm is renowned for its 19th-century historicist majolica, with particularly refined decoration.

Each vase has an elegant ovoid shape resting on a molded foot with scrolls.

The bodies are decorated, within large oval reserves, with a polychrome design on both sides of the vases, depicting songbirds perched amidst a naturalistic floral interlacing, rendered with remarkable finesse.
The shoulders are framed by richly carved rocaille finials representing dragons.
The flared necks have a flowing silhouette inspired by Renaissance and Neo-Baroque styles. The ensemble is enhanced by abundant geometric and vegetal ornamentation in low relief, highlighted with shades of gold, cobalt blue, olive green, and ivory.

The quality of the glaze, the richness of the ornithological decoration, and the balance of the forms testify to the expertise of this workshop, which specialized in the production of majolica.

Both pieces are in very good condition. No cracks, no restoration. Brilliant glaze and fresh colors. Only one of the vases has a small, minor chip; see the last photo.

Height 35.5 cm
Width 20 cm
Depth 15.5 cm