WMF / Geislingen - Vase - Metal

A rare and highly decorative WMF Art Nouveau anthropomorphic vase, dating to the circa 1900 period, executed in silver-plated metal with beautifully modelled naturalistic relief decoration. This striking sculptural vase embodies the fluidity, sensuality, and organic imagination of the Art Nouveau movement, combining aquatic motifs, mythological figures, and richly textured surface work.

The body of the vase is of elegant baluster form, rising from a shaped foot to an irregular, softly undulating rim. The surface is decorated in relief with a naturalistic water landscape composed of reeds, aquatic plants, flowing lines, and textured water-like effects, creating the impression that the vase emerges from a marsh or riverbank scene. Integrated into this landscape are two finely modelled anthropomorphic figures: a two-tailed mermaid climbing or leaning against the vessel, and a charming cupid-like child figure reclining and reaching across the rim. These sculptural figures give the vase a strong narrative and three-dimensional presence, making it as much a small sculpture as a functional decorative object.

The mermaid figure is particularly characteristic of the Art Nouveau taste for mythological and feminine subjects. Her body is gracefully posed, with a finely modelled torso and a double fish-tail form incorporated into the side of the vase. The cupid or putto figure adds movement and charm, appearing to interact with the vessel and the aquatic relief decoration. The combination of figures, reeds, water plants, and flowing metalwork creates a wonderful sense of movement and fantasy.

The vase is signed on the underside with the stamped marks:

WMF ostrich mark (worn out): the primary WMF factory trademark—most famously a running ostrich inside a rhombus.
B: Stands for Britannia metal (This means the core base metal underneath the silver plating is a pewter-like alloy made mostly of tin, antimony, and copper. WMF used this alloy frequently for structural hollowware like teapots, trays, and centerpieces)
OX: : Stands for Oxidized finish. The silver surface was artificially darkened (patinated) with a chemical solution to highlight relief details and give it an "antique silver" look.
I/0: : Indicates a normal/regular thickness of silver plating. It means that 1 gram of pure silver was deposited per 1 square decimeter (1 dm²) of the item's surface area.

These marks are consistent with production by WMF — Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik, one of the most important German manufacturers of high-quality silver-plated decorative metalwork during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. WMF was especially celebrated for its Art Nouveau production, and this vase is a fine example of the company’s more sculptural and imaginative output.

The silvered surface has an attractive antique appearance, with areas of bright reflection, darker patina, oxidation, and natural age-related wear. The relief details remain highly decorative and visually impressive.