Kayserzinn Art Nouveau vase around 1900

Embossed mark, model number 4312, cast pewter, decorated with bellflowers in relief, three free-standing stems as handles. "Kayserzinn" is synonymous with exceptionally high-quality Art Nouveau pewter. In 1894, Engelbert Kayser (1840-1911), a Cologne-based art dealer, entrepreneur and ambitious artist, founded the trademark with the aim of transforming the still historicist-style pewter from his parents' Krefeld foundry, run by his brother Jean, into the incipient Art Nouveau style. Several renowned sculptors, including Hugo Leven, Hermann Fauser and Karl Berghof, worked under the aegis of the trained pewterer Kayser in the large Cologne studio, developing a characteristic style that was highly distinctive within the European context. The vase shows patina after around 120 years. We have decided not to polish it; this is a decision for the new owner to make, as the original patina will then be irrevocably lost. The vase has two shallow dents that only become apparent on closer inspection. However, they are part of the history of this antique piece.