Lot description
LEON KANN (Alsace, 1859-1925). Bronze and brass. Signed. Measurements: 31 x 18 x 13 cm. Léon Kann studied sculpture with Aimé Millet and the distinguished animalier sculptor Pierre Louis Rouillard. He concentrated on small decorative pieces that he exhibited in the Salons of the Sociéte des Artistes Français. He was a designer at the Sévres Porcelain Factory between 1896 and 1915. Alexander Sandier, artistic director of Sévres, embraced the Art Nouveau style and called on leading designers of the time to create bold new shapes, glazes and decorations. Léon Kann was among this group of designers, including Hector Guimard, Joseph Chéret and Henri Lassere. It was a time in Sévres when the pleasure of experimentation and creativity was encouraged. Kann's brilliant designs perfectly capture the spirit of Art Nouveau. He drew much inspiration from the natural forms and mottled glazes of Asian ceramics. He was a master of artistically incorporating different parts of a plant to create coiled, tendril-like handles in naturalistic forms.