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Third Reich Art

Page 6


 

Third Reich Art

Third Reich Art

Third Reich Art

Third Reich Art

Third Reich Art

Third Reich Art

Third Reich Art

Third Reich Art

Hand-painted Miniature Portrait of Richard Wagner (Item ART 6-1; OLD 4-3; KPAINTING 1-7)

DESCRIPTION: The great composer, Richard Wagner, regarded himself the most German of men. He wrote 13 world-famous operas and numerous other compositions. He, indeed, was the embodied spirit of German Teutonic dignity and iron resolve. His masterful work stands as evidence of true German culture and history. Besides his activity as a composer and librettist, Wagner wrote an astounding number of books and articles. In fact, he produced about 230 titles. In addition, he wrote about 10,000 letters. Richard Wagner is undoubtedly one of the leading figures of the 19th century. In his time he was a source of heated debate and controversy. When the master died in 1883, over 10,00 books had been written about him and of course the amount of research has multiplied after his death. He was considered along with many other famous people an anti-Semite and radical, even anarchist, and proto-Fascist. In fact, his name appeared in connection to almost all major trends in German history of the 19th and 20th centuries. One of his most poignant sayings seems to sum up his wonderful life and deeds: "I have long been convinced that my artistic ideal stands or falls with Germany. Only the Germany that we love and desire can help us achieve that ideal. This composer in my Germanophile stands head and shoulders above all the other of his great peers. This wonderful rendering of the Meister is one of the best portrayals we have ever seen. It captures all the dignity and charm of this brilliant genius. It is painted painstakingly in miniature by the hand of an extraordinary artist. Each hair of the head is depicted with the tiny brush. The color is still vibrant. It is encased under glass that is beveled with floral design and then instead of the more usual bone piano-key-cut pieces, this one is remarkable and I would say very unusual in that it has an inlaid brass leaf or floral design that was hand cut and inserted masterfully into what appears to be genuine tortoise shell that, in turn, is mounted on bone slabs that make into a planchet. The frame measures 3 ½ x 3 ¾ inches with the oval-shaped painting being about 1 ¼ x 2 inches. The velvet back shows its age (probably as far back as 1870). Underneath the velvet was a covering using a page of newsprint and then you can see the metal tabs holding the portrait in place. Invariably, these are left open from curious individuals probing to check whether the rendering is done on ivory-it is not; it's on porcelain! So Germania now offers the priceless, once again, with a price. Here is a museum piece extraordinaire with an extremely reasonable set worth.

PRICE:  SOLD

 

SA

SA

SA

SA

SA

SA

SA

Hand-carved SA Man Figure (Item ART 6-2; SA 6-4)

DESCRIPTION: This is a great example of Third Reich art. In masterful carving the artist has depicted a Fahnenträger (flag bearer) of the SA. The detail is fantastic right down to the eagle on the cap and swastika tiepin. The standard shown is a unit flag with fringe and designation patch. The carving is very good almost par excellence! You can see this in the photos. Historic articles of the Kampfzeit (early struggle) are very rare and seldom encountered because of the ravages of war and the vindictiveness of the occupying powers. The sculpture is nearly 16 inches high from the bottom of the base to the tip of the flag pole. This is a great-looking sculpture and historically very important to the history of the Reich.

PRICE: $1,450.00

 

Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht
Here is the advertisement from the company.

Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht

German Hand-Grenade Thrower in Porcelain (Item ART 6-3; WEHR 14-6)

DESCRIPTION: This is without a doubt one of the finest figure porcelains of the Third Reich. Yes, Allach, in general, is considered the number one in elegant and meaningful porcelain, granted, but some of its notoriety (in lieu of a better word) is based on the fact that it was owned by the SS. In fact, there were other firms that produced porcelain just as fine, such as the old and renowned companies such as Meissen, Mettach, Rosenthal, KPM, and the company known as “Oldest Volkstedt Factory” founded in 1887 and produced commercially from 1915 to 1945. The name in German was Aelteste Volkstedter Porzellan Fabrik in Unterweissbach Thuringia, Germany. This is a large porcelain piece; larger than any Third Reich figure ever produced by any of the other prestigious firms. It measures 20 inches across the base and is 17 inches high. The distance from the hand grasping the grenade to the extended hand is 19 inches. This sculpture is large. The figure is familiar to collectors who have seen it depicted in various sizes. But this one is the largest. The distance from boot tip to boot tip is 18 ½ inches. The width across the base is about 7 inches. We have had this figure in this size in bronze and also have handled figures one fourth this size. But we know that this figure was produced in porcelain on a very limited basis. Only two have ever shown up in collections. The detail is quite fantastic. The Luger holster, bayonet, etc., are realistically detailed in extreme authenticity. There may be some artistic license in the helmet decals, but this is to be expected. This is an extremely rare and elegant representative art piece depicting the heroes of the European struggle in action. Its name is Der Geist der Deutschen Soldaten (“The Spirit of the German Soldiers”). It was designed and produced by Volkstedt and the artist was known by his signature as Soppel (see signature photo). These sculptures were seen in the headquarters of various Wehrmacht units, especially for infantry companies in the early months of the war and prewar times. They would grace the foyers of the showplace barracks of the elite regiments. The bronze ones sometimes still turn up in Germany. But the porcelain one is practically unique and was probably cherished by whatever unit counted it along with the company standard as a virtual treasure. This would have to be the crowning achievement and most treasured item in the finest Wehrmacht assemblage. This is for the collector who suddenly discovers or perhaps astutely realized that there is more than Allach in the N.S. art world. This figure should rival in rarity, desire, and price the greatest Allach piece ever produced and probably there were fewer of these ever made than the Allach SS flag bearer or the color SS rider. The quality is 100 percent on par with the finest Allach edition ever produced. We have never, ever, seen any porcelain piece that could be competition for this piece. The price is not even completely reflective of the real worth of this stupendous Third Reich art masterpiece of the porcelain sculptors’ art. We have shown in our heading an actual advertisement for the Rudolstadt Volkstedt company depicting the very piece that they were so proud of. This was featured in the Leipzig paper at Christmas in 1941.

PRICE:$47,500.00

 

SA

SA

SA

SA

SA

SA

SA

SA

SA

SA

SA

SA

Magnificent SA Trophy
The Ultimate Relic
Wehrsport Trophy
(Item ART 6-4; SA 6-5)

DESCRIPTION: We now present to the collecting world the greatest National Socialist item ever found. We believe this and the greater preponderance of collectors. dealers, and museum people will agree. Nothing that has been found in the wonderful world of Third Reich collecting can really approach this item for sheer beauty and historical significance. The artistic accomplishment in pure 800 silver masterfully executed in pure art-deco style leaves even the art connoisseur from the leftist circles gasping when viewed. The strong militaristic implications and national pride embodied in the overall design immediately reach out for the fervent admiration of the Germanophile that is clear and certain. However, even Christies or Parke Bernet would love to feature this one; however, they cannot because the controversial swastika would alienate certain very vocal groups which would object stringently to its obvious message in art. So it can only be offered in private showing to a select, elite few who can appreciate its uniqueness and unquestionable beauty. Worth???? The sky is the limit, certainly. It is obviously one of a kind produced by a master silversmith whose love for Fatherland and a political dream is unquestionable. The woodcraft is also of masterwork variety in its presentation. The story of its discovery in America is utterly captivating and intriguing, indeed, and it goes like this. The odyssey of the trophy is almost what novels are written about. In the spring of 1997, and enthusiastic collector, Thomas R. Johnson, of Jackson, Michigan, became aware of the existence of the trophy. It was in the possession of an elderly antique dealer, who specialized in precious-metal scrap and old silver. the trophy narrowly missed being melted down for its silver content. The dealer informed Mr. Johnson that he had obtained it about 10 years earlier from the relatives of an American soldier, who looted it in the chaos following the collapse of National Socialist Germany. The soldier was reportedly killed in the final actions of the war, but had allegedly sent the trophy home prior to his death. Mr. Johnson was able to purchase the pedestal portion only, after persistent persuasion. On November 13, 1967, after being informed by Dr. Klietmann, a German expert in the awards field, that the trophy was incomplete. Mr. Johnson returned to the dealer and asked about it. It seems the trophy was dismantled to facilitate shipment, and the recipients were not a aware that the item lacked a trophy cup and that the two pieces would be integral to each other. The party who received it from the GI refused to part with the cup portion desiring to put it to use as a vase and this seemed to be out of some sort of misplaced sentiment and Mr. Johnson was rather depressed that his hopes of obtaining it seemed very remote because the dealer who sold the pedestal was extremely closemouthed about the family who had the rest of the fantastic item. This old man remembered that there was “some sort of a cup” around with it, but maybe they didn’t go together and the party didn’t seem too anxious to let go of it. But, Mr. Johnson persistently pestered the dealer until he followed through on it. The elderly gentleman kept on procrastinating despite several return visits. As time went by, it grew readily apparent that the dealer for some reason wasn’t really interested in tracking down the missing piece. All the while, Mr. Johnson did not let on that the two items belonged together. He simply said that he wanted to buy the “Nazi cup.” Neither the dealer nor the owner were ever really aware that the two pieces went together. The antique man stated further each time asked that the couple from whom he had purchased the pedestal lived miles away, but that he had known the family for most of his life. He kept telling Mr. Johnson “wait until summer and some warm day I’ll go down there, sitting out in the yard talking things over and when the time is right I’ll get around to the cup. But, as could be expected summer came and went and so did autumn and he never did get around to going. Periodically, Mr. Johnson would go out of his way to stop by his remote place of business to see if he had made his promised move. On one such visit the man was out, but his wife was at home. During the subsequent conversation she without realizing it revealed the first name of the party in question. Her comment was to the effect: “Well, Rex and them have always asked us to come down and visit.” Feeling that he had something he could go on, knowing that the antique man had known Rex all his life, Mr. Johnson on his next visit worked the conversation around to asking where it was that the man had been born and raised. As it can be guessed, they were rural people. In addition, by October 25, 1969, Mr. Johnson was of the opinion that there was little likelihood of the antique dealer bothering to go down to that part of the country very soon, if ever. As it turned out, it was the same area where Mrs. Johnson had stemmed from. Obtaining a real estate plot map from the clerk of that township, Mr. Johnson hoped that his man was a landowner and taxpayer. He also hoped that he still lived in that township. Mr. Johnson next underlined all the landowners in the entire county who had the Christian name “Rex” and even all those whose first names began with “R.” Many did not use spelled-out first names on tax roles. The first ray of hope came when it was noticed on the map of the township in which the dealer had claimed to have grown up, that there two sections of land, side by side, owned by two different men having the identical surname as his. This name appeared nowhere else in the county. Setting out on October 26, and using this farm as the focus of his compass, Mr. Johnson contacted the first farmer name Rex nearest there. It was curious sensation approaching a stranger asking if he was the party who had something of interest, but which couldn’t be clearly described, as it had never been seen. “I wonder if you could help me. I am looking for someone I don’t know whom, who has something I would like to buy but I don’t know what it looked like.” Good fortune went with him. For the first party contacted was the right one. Yet, after studying the 8 x 10 photos of the pedestal that were published in the Medal Collector last year, the man claimed he had never laid eyes on it before! The man claimed this despite the antique man’s assertion that he had bought it from them about ten years before for around ten dollars. Finally, the lady was induced to go into the house and brought out a couple of metal cups. One was a cheap tourist-shop beer mug with some coat of arms on it of a German city. The other was the Nazi cup and lid. The eagle and swastika section was broken off the lid, but it lay inside. Cautious negotiations began for its purchase that took about a month. Mr. Johnson wasn’t sure if this was the right cup, and the party was not sure if they wanted to sell it. It had not been a son who had obtained it in the war, but some distant cousin who had left it with them about 1946 and then vanished completely from sight. Seven years without word elapsed until it was legally determined that he was dead, allowing the original trophy base to be sold. Eventually, the sale came about in November 1969. That is only one week more that the 46th anniversary of the Munich Putsch, which brought the Nazi Party to prominence. The eagle has been professionally repaired and the entire trophy reassembled. Had Mr. Johnson not persevered, this might never have come about, and the two parts would have been lost in time, forever. Intrinsically, it is now in all likelihood the most valuable Nazi athletic trophy still in existence. Dr. Klietmann wrote Mr. Johnson to say that this cup was dedicated for competition at the annual Reichs Party Days held at Nuremberg, by competing SA Sturms as a challenge trophy. The German Hand Shoemaker’s Guild presented this trophy for the event. This National Presentation Cup was for competition at the Nazi rally until the Storm Troops were disbanded. Just what these games consisted of, and how they enhanced the spirit of Reichsinnung, needs yet to be explained. It is undoubtedly the largest Third Reich sport trophy to be recovered. The trophy base weighs 18 lbs. 3 oz. The cup and lid weigh 1 lb. 14 oz. Total 20 lbs. 1 oz. The base is 11 7/16 inches high. The cup 10 1/8 inches high. The total height is 21 7/16 inches high. The individual Storm Troopers that stand directly above the inscriptions of victory are each 6 ½ inches high and the detail of each of their shoulder boards are of different design. The cups capacity is one quart and the inside of the cup and lid are gold washed. the silver marks that were mandatory in Germany for the finest of silver pieces are the moon-and-crown configuration followed by the exact silver content (835) and the eagle symbol. These markings appear twice on the trophy: once on the flat silver surface on which the Storm Troopers stand, and once on the outside portion of the cup. The front of the cup says in German: Durch Kampf zum Sieg Reichsparteitag der Freiheit 1936, “Through Struggle Comes Victory. Reichs Party Day of Freedom 1936.” The back of the cup says in German Reichsinnungssmeister Pokal der SA Gestiftet vom Deutschen Schuhmacherhandwerk. This translates to: “Reich’s Guildmaster Cup of the SA Presented by the Shoemaker’s Handwork Organization.” This is incredible in itself that all these professional shoemakers across the nation got together and managed to have this magnificent and spectacular prize constructed at what must have been very considerably expensive in its day. Actually, there were wonderful government-issued prizes and trophies that were presented for various sports achievements and they were quite awe-inspiring, indeed. Various issues of the official art magazine Kunst im Deutschen Reich often featured some of these fantastic art forms; however, this SA Trophy has them all beat in our estimation for pure dramatic presentation and deep meaningful impartation of the National Socialist ideology. The figures each in their particular stance upon the pedestal represent and symbolize the purported ideals of the N.S. movement and struggle. Each of the four standing Storm Troopers represents a particular phase of the battle for power in 1930’s Germany. The first one drawing the sword is a depiction of the time known as the Kampfzeit in which the SA fought in the streets to achieve power. The decorative frieze below shows humanity doing battle with serpents representing the enemies of the National Socialist movement. The second figure shown with the sword has the sword piercing a dragon figure representing the Weimar Republic, democratic, liberal, and communist ideals. The frieze below shows two slain serpents. The Third Depicts a Storm Trooper who stands in reverence to those comrades who lost their lives in the struggle. He is at attention with boots together and cap off. The frieze shows humanity recovering with four dead serpents evidenced there. The fourth aspect shows the SA man holding his sword, now sheathed, and a sheaf of wheat. This trooper symbolizes prosperity. The hammer shown stands for industry and the wheat for agriculture. The frieze now shows an orderly pattern, a horse pulling a plow, with the swastika rising as the symbol of the sun with humanity benefiting from the victory of the N.S. Party. All of the intertwined mosaic beneath these first three figures is twisted and disordered symbolizing the state of affairs in pre-Hitler German politics during the 1920’s. Only in the last one (no. 4) is peace and plenty suggested and that would come with the party’s successful takeover. The SA groups or Sturms must have felt a deep satisfaction and pride when they managed to win this utterly magnificent prize. A Sturm was a detachment that contained, according to its purpose, from between 60 to 150 men, the cup was first offered in competition in 1936, and engraved in the spaces provided are the following winners: Pioniersturm 16/1 Breslau Pokalsieger, Sturm 16/120 Heidenheim Pokalsieger 1936, Sturm 21/127 Heidenheim 1937. Unfortunately there were no further events to which it could be competed for after this. In 1938, the emphasis was preparation for actual warfare and the SA Sturms were practically dissolved as they were steadily moved into the Wehrmacht and the competitions were increasingly brought to an end. Thus the fourth space on the trophy was sadly empty. The disastrous fratricidal war broke out in 1939 and 88 guns and Stukas were needed more than sport competitions. Still this remains a monument to the early struggle of the N.S. turbulent era. The trophy has appeared in several magazine articles over the years and there has been much active discussion about it for decades. The trophy has been in three different collections since Mr. Johnson sold it to a Mr. Johnston of New York. The discussion has always had a bottom line that advanced the idea that the piece was, without a doubt, the finest Nazi article that has ever been seen by collectors worldwide and should probably be worth more than any Nazi relic ever sold; and that would include any of the highly decorated firearms that reputedly were the property of Adolf Hitler or Hermann Göring. The Göring wedding sword is absolutely gorgeous, but what is the historic message other than a marriage between two famous people? Nothing out there can match this trophy for beauty and historic significance. This piece is not only intrinsically beautiful, but no relic of the Reich has ever conveyed such a message in its artistic presentation. It ultimately and clearly stands alone in the history of this hobby of Germanic collecting. How do you price something like this? How? What comparison can be made for the sake of evaluation? Do we exaggerate? I think not! This trophy will be remembered always as long as avaricious collectors seek the greatest and finest in superb relics of Teutonic ecstasy.

PRICE:  SOLD

 

Third Reich

Third Reich

Third Reich

Third Reich

Miniature Painting of Richard Wagner (ART 6-5)

DESCRIPTION: This without a doubt is the finest painting we have ever seen of the Master Richard Wagner (1813-1883). He is, in our opinion, the greatest composer of all time and in his opinion “The most German of men,” the German spirit. He composed 13 fantastic operas and numerous other compositions. He had an inevitable influence on our understanding of Germanic culture and history. He was possibly an anarchist, socialist, but simultaneously a proto-Fascist and nationalist and an ardent anti-Semite. In fact, his name has appeared in connections to almost al major trends in German history of the 19th and 20th centuries. Besides his activity as a composer and a librettist, Wagner wrote an astonishing number of books and articles; about 230 titles. The literary spectrum ranges form theories of opera to political programs. In addition to these activities, he wrote about 10,000 letters (does this sound like your writer at Germania?). More than 10,000 books were written about him. The amount of research has multiplied after his death. The painting that we offer is an oval brass frame that measures a little over 3 ½ inches and 3 inches wide. The painting is hand done on porcelain in the style of Wagner, who was the master artist working for the prestigious firm of KPM (Königliche Porzellanmanufaktur Berlin). Herr Wagner was not related to the composer, but because of his last name being the same and because like all patriotic, nationalist Germans, he adored the music. He became an enthusiast and enjoyed painting the Bayreuth Genius. We truly believe this art rendering is by KPM and by Wagner. The porcelain is sealed in the frame and it could be damaged in removal so we will not attempt it. The subject is phenomenal with every hair of the maestro dubbed in with prodigious skillfulness and absolute masterly of the art. The frame has a stand device on the back and it was framed in the U.S. although we know the artwork was accomplished in Germany. The frame is signed Joseph Horne and Co., Pittsburgh. This is the best ever!; an artistic treasure unexcelled!

PRICE: $1,450.00

 

Kaiser Reich

Kaiser Reich

Kaiser Reich

Kaiser Reich

Kaiser Reich

Royal Imperial Leather Wall Hanging (Item ART 6-6; KPAINTING 1-8)

DESCRIPTION: This is incredible in the extreme. A large section of leatherwork undoubtedly from a royal or governmental office or palace, possibly in the northern Hanseatic areas. At this point we will venture to say INCREDIBLE! This is hand-tooled leatherwork as only the most skilled craftsmen could ever accomplish. It is indeed the Germanophile’s dream. Whether a collector of Imperial relics or the art of the Third Reich period, this has to be the item that would make the heart skip a beat. This is “Deutschland, Deutschland Über Alles” personified! This piece is the ultimate or what make the Teutonic collector do the wild Germanic dance of ecstasy. It is a huge potpourri of panels all joined with leather thong and surrounded with tacks. The panels each depict the coats of arms of various German municipalities. Three of them seem to be the Hamburg area, the Saxon, and the Lioin of Thuringia. I believe this artistic rendition was crafted by Hulbe of Hamburg well know for his fantastic leatherwork. The magnificent leather-carved eagle of the German Empire created on the upright portion of the Reichstag chairs are in a much similar vein. The almost embossed shields stand out as if applied and this makes for an astounding awareness when one considers that they are in fact also hand carved and sculpted in a process known only to Herr Hulbe. The entire item is huge, 40 x 40 inches, with each panel measuring 20 ½ x 20 ½ inches. Of particular note is the depiction of the knight on horseback, who carries an Imperial standard. Rampant lions decorate his shield, horse blankets, and standard. The magnificence of this carved and raised leather art is absolutely profound. The purpose of this great artistic contribution probably was similar to that of a tapestry to hang on a wall of a great room in superb decorative manner possibly behind the chair of a king, prince, or other royalty. This is, if not the must important thing we have ever offered, it could well be the most Teutonically beautiful, as well as extremely historically important.

PRICE:   SOLD

 

 

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If you prefer, contact 'Germania' at PO Box 68, Lakemont, GA 30552
or call at 706.782.1668.


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