Small Portrait Vase Nikolaus Kannhäuser Amphora ca. 1900

The "Amphora-Werke k.k. priv. Keramische Werke Rießner, Stellmacher & Kessel" was founded in 1892 by Hans and Carl Rießner, Eduard Stellmacher and Rudolf Kessel in Turn-Teplitz. The Austro-Hungarian company produced high quality ceramic objects and is one of the most famous manufactories of the Art Nouveau period. Soon after its founding, the company employed 300 people and exported its sought-after products all over the world. Besides rather commercial products, more elaborate objects were created for world exhibitions and other international art fairs. These partly monumental exhibits include vases with grotesque animal creatures such as dragons and sea monsters, inspired by Japanese woodblock prints, as well as vessels with maiden and delicate female figures in allegorical designs. The high-quality standards of the founding members brought along the so-called "ivory porcelain", a glazed thin-walled type of ceramics, which was often enhanced with gold, cold enamel painting and gemstones. Even then, the company won high awards with this technique and the elaborate surface design, including four "Grand Prix" at various world exhibitions. Today, exceptional specimens are represented in famous art nouveau museums such as the Badisches Landesmuseum, Karlsruhe and the Bröhan Museum, Berlin.