Josef Lorenzl Car Mascots. Josef Lorenzl (1 September 1892 – 15 August 1950) was an Austrian sculptor and ceramicist of the Art Deco period.
Lorenzl was born on 1 September 1882 in Vienna, Austria and died there on 15 August 1950. Little is known about his early years, but more is known about his later life. Lorenzl started his career working at a foundry at the Vienna Arsenal where he learned the techniques of bronze casting. The Vienna Arsenal was a military storage complex located in the south-eastern part of Vienna. Reference: Wikipedia
In addition to bronze sculptures, he was also renown for car mascots, of which some are shown below.
A good ‘Facing the Storm ‘ mascot by Josef Lorenzel, French, circa 1920, signed, nickel-silver plated bronze, depicting a beautiful girl protecting herself against the wind and trying to keep her dress from blowing away to protect her modesty, cast with wonderful detail and expression, 6¾in high.
The Austrian sculptor Joseph Lorenzl was one of the most famous and prolific sculptors of the Art Deco period. Most of his figures were elegant female nudes with elongated features, which portrayed the look of the time, usually in dancing poses. He produced many figural strikers, lamps and clocks. He used various materials mainly spelter, bronze, marble and ivory. Similar figures were often made in various sizes. Ceramic and spelter versions of Lorenzl figures were often produced by the Friedrich Goldschneider and Keramos foundries.
Sold for US$ 3,802 (£ 3,022) inc. premium at Bonhams in 2007
Art Deco Gilt Bronze Scarf Dancer Car Mascot, after Lorenzl, c.1925 unsigned height 6.3″ — 16 cm.
Sold For CA$220 at Waddington’s Auctioneers and Appraisers in 2019
Josef Lorenzl Makers Mark
