Ceramic Basset Hound Sculpture, Germany, 1940s

Description

“Basset hound” dog sculpture, ceramic, 40's - Germany
Ceramic sculpture of a basset hound puppy, probably from the Porzellan Manufaktur … more “Basset hound” dog sculpture, ceramic, 40's - Germany
Ceramic sculpture of a basset hound puppy, probably from the Porzellan Manufaktur Allach (1935-1945).
For Hitler himself, art should help disseminate Aryan mysticism, the differentiating elements of German culture and the country's history. This was the essence and driving principle of the so-called Deutscher Stil or German style, the artistic movement promoted by the Nazi government to confront what they considered “degenerate art.” Himmler came to the conclusion that works of art had to leave museums and be present in every home in the country. Analyzing the specific case of sculpture, he thought that the only possibility for this to happen lay in the use of porcelain as a support. Furthermore, it must be taken into account that in Germany there was a great tradition regarding the manufacture of high quality porcelain (Meissen, Berlin, Höchst, Frankenthal, Nymphenburg, Ludwigsburg, Fürstenberg, Dresden, Rosenthal\.).
For this purpose, a company located in Allach, on the outskirts of the Bavarian capital, was acquired. Prestigious ceramists (Röring and Forster) and teachers (Kärner and Fichter) were hired, with the intention that the production would focus on the design of small statues and decorative objects, avoiding tremendous themes and searching above all for sweetness and beauty. aesthetics. A large part of the production chain was temporarily moved to the neighboring town of Dachau, known for hosting the first of the concentration camps installed by the Nazi regime. This is where the use of slave or forced labor comes in, mostly political prisoners.
Most of the pieces were sold without chromatic decoration, usually with a thin and attractive layer of white varnish, as in this case. The vast majority of the production, although not all, appeared marked on its base. The most common mark was that of crisscrossed runes, but next to this logo the legend “Allach” usually appeared in Gothic font. Plans to open a network of Allach pottery shops throughout Germany were thwarted by the war, and production at the Allach and Dachau plants eventually ceased in December 1944, as the Allies were on their way to cross the Rhine and storm in Bavaria.

Material: Ceramic
Manufacture: Probably Allach Porcelain (no stamp)
Period: 1940s
Country of origin: Germany
Good condition according to its age and use
Dimensions: 23 x 29 x 16 cm. less