Possibly Argentor-Werke Rust & Hetzel

Viennese Jugendstil school, ca. 1905. Possibly ARGENTOR-WERKE RUST & HETZEL (active ca. 1900).
Vase, ca. 1905.
Silver-plated pewter.
Unsigned.
Weight: 1,950 g.
Measurements: 34 x 22 x 12 cm.

This vase is a clear representative of the style of the Viennese School, of the Jugendstil period (ca. 1905). Its amphora shape, with circular mouth, is richly decorated in relief with a playful scene: two children are arranged on the sides, serving as figurative handles while playing with the water that gushes from fountains shaped like satyr faces, located at the mouth of the vase.

Argentor-Werke Rust & Hetzel, originally founded in Vienna in 1863 as CA Münchmeyer & Co. and renamed in 1902, established itself as one of the most important manufacturers of Viennese Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) metalware. The company, which became a supplier to the Austro-Hungarian imperial court (k.u.k.), was extremely successful in the early 20th century, producing thousands of exquisite models and exporting worldwide from its factories and branches in Vienna, Berlin, Paris, and Budapest. Its vast output ranged from silverware and tea services to home furnishings, lamps and vases, all made in the characteristic Art Nouveau style.