Lot number 3381 - Auction 155
KÄUZCHEN

MAX ESSER 1885 Barth - 1945 Berlin Little Owl Circa 1931 Bronze, dark patina, chased plumage, on a round plinth and marble base (H. 3.5 cm). Overall height 21 cm, width 10 cm, depth 12 cm, weight approx. 1.78 kg. Signed 'M. Esser' and foundry mark 'Guss Rich. Barth, Bln Mariendorf' on the reverse. A very rare version of one of Max Esser's well-known little owl motifs, this one of particularly high quality with meticulously engraved plumage. The little owl sits serenely, with an alert, focused expression and a characteristically compact silhouette. Esser's masterful depiction of animals combines precise observation of nature with a clear, reduced formal language, typical of his sculptural work. Minor damage and partial loss of patina. Literature: Max Esser, Animal Sculptures, Exhibition at the Galerie Verein Berliner Künstler, 1974, Bronze Sculptures No. 42. Provenance: Private collection, Berlin.