16" c1900 Wilhelm Schiller Austrian Majolica Vase 11.75" wide with handles. X 15 7/8" tall. No cracks, chips, or restorations.
Wilhelm Schiller began production of porcelain and earthenware in Bodenbach,
Bohemia in 1829, operating under the name of Schiller and Gerbing. In 1885, the
firm was dissolved and renamed Wilhelm Schiller and Son and remained in
operation until the onset of World War I. It is unknown whether the firm of
Schiller and Gerbing produced majolica, but the firm of Wilhelm Schiller and Son
is clearly the most prolific of the Bohemian manufacturers of majolica.
The color palette used by Bohemian majolica makers including Schiller is much
more subdued than that of their Staffordshire counterparts. The background of
many Schiller pieces is of a matte-finished taupe, light gray or turquoise with
glazed surface features in various shades of brown and black. The interiors are
usually glazed in turquoise. Much of the firm’s production reflects the
transition from traditional Victorian majolica to the Art Deco style. The most
common Schiller pieces are decorative vases, jardinieres, table centers and
ewers. No examples of Schiller majolica plates, bowls or other functional
table-wares are known.
Wilhelm Schiller and Sons majolica was marked with the letters ‘WS&S’ that was
either impressed or contained within a raised cartouche.
