Monk’s Head, c. 1906

Together with Bertold Löffler (1874–1960), the ceramicist and sculptor Michael Powolny (1871–1954) set up a company, Wiener Keramik, in 1905. It collaborated closely with the Wiener Werkstätte and was eventually taken over by Gmundner Keramik in 1913 and successfully continued under the name of Vereinigte Wiener und Gmundner Keramik. Powolny designed this enigmatic sculpture around 1906. The colorfully glazed ceramic solely consists of the head of a monk, characterized by the typical tonsure and a strikingly emaciated face with sunken eyes. The head is literally framed by the cowl. It seems as if Powolny wanted to create a melancholic memento mori based on a religious figure in this small-sized work. This is also borne out by the man’s thoroughly resigned facial expression.

MR, 2021