1910s Silvered Pewter Race Car Team Inkwell and Pen Tray by Wilhelm Zwick for the Company Kayserzinn, Germany

Description

1910s silvered pewter race car team inkwell and pen tray by Wilhelm Zwick for the company Kayserzinn, Germany

By: Wilhelm … more 1910s silvered pewter race car team inkwell and pen tray by Wilhelm Zwick for the company Kayserzinn, Germany

By: Wilhelm Zwick, Kayserzinn
Material: pewter, copper, lead, tin, metal, silver
Technique: polished, metalwork, cast, silvered, molded
Dimensions: 16 in x 9 in x 6 in
Date: early 20th century, circa 1913
Style: Jugendstil, Art Nouveau
Place of origin: Germany

A striking silvered pewter race car sculpture, created in early 20th century Germany by renowned artist Wilhelm Zwick, embodies the dynamic spirit of the Jugendstil movement. Crafted with exceptional attention to detail, the piece captures the powerful yet graceful form of an early Mercedes-Benz racing car in motion. The meticulously modeled driver and passengers convey a sense of speed and excitement, while the functional design elements, such as the hidden inkwell beneath the bonnet and another compartment in the rear opening spare wheel panel, showcase Zwick's innovative engineering.

The artist's signature and the company seal can be found near the base of the piece, alongside a golden plaque inscribed with 'KLEIN'.

Kayserzinn was founded in 1844 by Johann Peter Kayser in Kaiserswerth, Germany, starting as a small family-run foundry. By the late 19th century, the company had grown into Germany's largest pewter manufacturer, producing both luxury and consumer goods. Renowned for its Art Nouveau designs, it gained international acclaim, especially under the artistic direction of Engelbert Kayser, until its eventual decline in the early 20th century. less