REDUCED Boehm - "Alec's Red Rose" - Closed Limited Edition, Signed and Numbered, c 1980

Collectibles : Boehm : Alec's Red Rose : Signed, Numbered Limited Edition : Rose : Flowers : Decorative Arts : Decorative

 

Yes, we are offering two of Boehm's incredibly beautiful "Alec's Red Rose." This one is Number 16 of the series, which was comprised of only 300 total edition. This is the type of gift that is never forgotten. It is a visual caress; an expression of love. While porcelain is fragile, like love, when handled carefully, and appreciated, it can last your lifetime, and be handed down to generations to come. It is in Excellent Condition, and measures 7 inches tall and 8 inches across. Having been made by Boehm Porcelains, arguably the finest porcelain studio in the United States, it looks so real. Now some information about porcelain, and Boehm Studios:

The oldest of all artistic media, porcelain sculpture originated in China more than two thousand years ago.

A Boehm porcelain sculpture begins its life on paper, in an artist's sketch. The sculptor determines its size and structure, then crafts a rough model in clay. After what may be several iterations of modeling, the design is finalized. Moldmakers carefully cut the final model into components that can be fit back together. The direction and number of these dissections are determined by the intricacy of the model. Moldmaking is an exacting and time-consuming art and science, and it is not uncommon to devote more than a year to the molding of an important sculpture.

The Boehm Studio uses only pure porcelain, that which has been created from the purest and whitest clays and which has been ground for many hours to a rigidly controlled particle size. At this fineness, liquid porcelain is extremely smooth and almost creamy in texture.

The main master molds are constructed of hydrastone, while the working molds are made of Plaster of Paris. When the pure porcelain is poured into these working molds, water is absorbed and a thin clay lining begins to build on their inside walls. After a time, the mold is opened and the still-damp shell of clay (called "greenware") is gently removed and cleaned. Normally twelve to twenty castings can be taken from a set of working molds before they begin to wear and a new set cast from the master mold is required.

After molding, the component greenware is assembled to form the full sculpture. Porcelain liquid called "slip" is used as a bonding agent until the sculpture is fired. Because porcelain shrinks significantly during firing, supports (called "props") are put into place to hold the sculpture's heaviest parts. These props are made from porcelain slip so that they shrink at the same rate as the artwork itself. Even with these carefully designed props in place, many designs cannot be fired successfully and must be discarded.

Pieces that successfully emerge from the initial firing are polished and readied for the painter's brush. The sculpture is refired between applications of color, with each hue often requiring a precise temperature adjustment. After painting, each sculpture is carefully examined against the original prototype to ensure colors are properly annealed and accurate. If there are any discrepancies from the original, the process must begin anew.

Hopefully, this art and science of porcelain making that was born twenty centuries ago will continue. However, the number of artists who are expert, and who painstakingly create true masterpieces, certainly has decreased in our world of "quick fixes" and low quality items that rarely stand the test of time.

Item ID: A3840