Johann Philipp Ferdinand Preiss Auction Prices and Value Guide

Johann Philipp Ferdinand Preiss auction prices are tracked in Appraisily's artist market index, with source-directory coverage of 981 records. Use this page to review sold-lot activity, market context, and valuation factors before requesting a formal appraisal.

Johann Philipp Ferdinand Preiss auction prices: quick answer

Johann Philipp Ferdinand Preiss auction prices depend on medium, size, date, condition, provenance, edition details, attribution confidence, and recent comparable auction sales.

Artist
Johann Philipp Ferdinand Preiss
Source records
981
Market update
2026-02-16

Artist context

About Johann Philipp Ferdinand Preiss

Johann Philipp Ferdinand Preiss (1882–1943) was a German sculptor and ivory carver recognized as one of the leading artists of the Art Deco era. Born in Erbach in the Rheingau-Taunus region, Preiss trained at the Unterrichtsanstalt des Kunstgewerbemuseums in Berlin before co-founding the firm Preiss & Kassler, which produced finely carved ivory-and-bronze figurines that defined the chryselephantine aesthetic of the 1920s and 1930s. His works, typically marked with the PK monogram, depict elegant female figures, dancers, and athletes rendered in carved ivory combined with cast bronze and stone bases. Preiss died in Berlin in 1943. His sculptures remain among the most collected and widely referenced Art Deco objects in the international auction market.

Art Decoivorybronzeetchingfemale figures

Common works and media

The most commonly encountered Preiss works are small-to-medium chryselephantine figurines combining carved ivory torsos and limbs with patinated bronze drapery or bases, often mounted on green onyx or marble plinths. Typical subjects include female dancers, tennis players, gymnasts, and allegorical figures. The firm Preiss & Kassler also produced purely bronze editions and cold-painted variants. Etchings by Preiss are recorded in RKD but are far less common in the auction market than the sculptural figures.

Market and appraisal context

Ferdinand Preiss is one of the most actively traded Art Deco sculptors in the international auction market. Appraisily auction records index 647 lots attributed to the artist, of which 425 carry realized prices spanning from 1998 to April 2026. The price distribution is wide: a minimum of $55, a 25th percentile of $1,300, a median of $3,000, a 75th percentile of $10,000, and a maximum of $80,500. This dispersion reflects the significant range between later reproductions or small bronze-only pieces at the low end and fully attributed chryselephantine figures with original ivory and bronze at the high end. Market liquidity is strong and increasing — 56 lots appeared in the most recent 12-month window compared with 27 in the prior 12 months, suggesting sustained collector demand. The artist's works appear most frequently at Quittenbaum Kunstauktionen (Munich), which specializes in Art Deco and Jugendstil, followed by major international houses including Bonhams, Sotheby's, and Christie's. Mid-tier houses such as Roseberys, Gorringes, Aalders, and Historia Auctionata also regularly offer Preiss lots, indicating broad geographic distribution across Europe, the UK, and the US. The most valuable recorded recent lot is a Bonhams 'Joueur de mandoline' chryselephantine figure that realized €8,000 in November 2024, while the earlier Bonhams 'Powder Puff' cold-painted ivory figure achieved £18,000 in August 2020.

Auction categories and appraisal factors

Common auction categories

  • Art Deco sculpture
  • chryselephantine figures (ivory and bronze)
  • cold-painted bronze and ivory figurines
  • bronze sculpture
  • ivory carving

Value drivers

  1. Attribution to the firm Preiss & Kassler (PK monogram) is a key factor; works produced by the firm bear the PK mark
  2. Medium and material (ivory combined with bronze or onyx bases) significantly affect value
  3. Condition of ivory elements is critical, as age-related cracks, discoloration, or restoration reduce value
  4. Provenance and documented exhibition or collection history strengthen attribution and value
  5. PK monogram presence and legibility — works bearing the Preiss & Kassler firm mark command a significant premium over unsigned or unattributed pieces
  6. Material composition — chryselephantine (ivory and bronze) figures are the most valued category; bronze-only or cold-painted variants trade lower

Appraisal caveats

  • Many unsigned or later reproductions exist in the market; careful authentication by a specialist is recommended
  • The exact date of death is not firmly established in all sources; biographical gaps may affect provenance research
  • Some lots in the record set lack realized prices (listed as unsold or estimates only), which means the effective price floor and ceiling may differ from the priced-lot distribution
  • Listings marked 'nach' (after) or 'in the manner of' are attributed copies or reproductions, not original works by Preiss; these are included in the lot count but trade at dramatically lower prices

Evidence

Sources for artist context

This source-grounded artist context passed Appraisily's promotion threshold: high confidence, strong sources.

Source-grounded artist Markdown

Data basis

This page is built from Appraisily's public auction market index. Private transactions, incomplete sale feeds, and attribution changes may not be fully represented.

LLM-readable Markdown summary for Johann Philipp Ferdinand Preiss

LLM summary index · LLM full index

Artist value FAQ

How much is Johann Philipp Ferdinand Preiss worth?

Comparable public auction sales are the best starting point, but final value depends on the specific artwork, condition, size, medium, provenance, and attribution confidence.

Can Appraisily value my Johann Philipp Ferdinand Preiss artwork?

Yes. Appraisily can review photos, dimensions, signatures, condition, provenance, and comparable market data to prepare a current valuation.