WMF inkwell and pen tray, ca. 1910

WMF inkwell and pen tray, ca. 1910.
"Sled bobsleigh with the Kayser Aref".
Pewter.
Measurements: 7 x 33 x 15 cm.

Made in pewter, the Kayser Aref bobsleigh sled is a decorative piece clearly identifying the Art Deco style emerging in those years. The scene conveys speed and movement, values that excited the society of the early twentieth century, representing a sport that symbolized luxury alpine tourism. At the beginning of the 20th century there was a general fascination with speed: automobiles, aviation, cycling, motors... Bobsleigh fit perfectly into that modern culture because it combined engineering, aerodynamics and risk. Sleds were evolving rapidly and were considered almost "sporting machines".

By 1910, winter sports were beginning to become institutionalized. Bobsleigh helped turn the Alps into international sports centers. Specific tracks were built and more regulated competitions began, paving the way for the Winter Olympics (started in 1924).

This sculpture, therefore, condenses and exemplifies the modern fascination with sport, which during the Art Deco era ceased to be understood solely as aristocratic entertainment and became a symbol of the essential values of modernity: energy, discipline, dynamism, health, competitiveness and physical beauty. France was one of the great epicenters of this phenomenon, and art immediately incorporated this new exaltation of the body and movement.

WMF is the abbreviation for Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik, which stands for Württemberg Metal Factory. The factory was established in 1880 in the small town of Geislingen an der Steige and was a household name on the German scene in the late 19th and early 20th century.