Hoop Dancer by Josef Lorenzl, 1930s

About This Piece

Vintage Design

Hoop Dancer, a large Art Deco, cold painted silvered bronze figure by Josef Lorenzl (1892-1950). A dancing woman in stylised pose holding a golden hoop, set over a green onyx plinth. Signed Lorenzl to bronze Excellent Original Condition. Literature: Art Deco & Other Figures, Bryan Catley Page. 225 Dimensions: H 55cm W 27cm D 13cm Josef Lorenzl , born 1st September 1892 began his career at a foundry in the Vienna Arsenal. This enabled him to learn and refine his techniques, progressing to the production of his stylised figures we know so well today. The Majority of his works portray slender, often nude women in elegant poses, mounted on green onyx bases and are often signed in full, however sometimes he abbreviated his name to “Lor” or “Renz” Some of his figures bear the additional signature “Crejo” an artist who contributed the floral enamel work alongside the addition of other decoration, these figures often bear both signatures. By the end of the 1930’s wartime restrictions forced Lorenzl to turn to spelter as the material for his sculptures, most of which were not signed. Lorenzo’s skills were also manifested in ceramics, designing for a number of manufacturers, including Austrian company Goldscheider. After his death on 15 th August 1950, his wife destroyed a large number of his figurines. Origin: Austrian Date: circa 1930.

Designer	Josef Lorenzl
Manufacturer	Josef Lorenzl
Design Period	1920 to 1949
Year
Production Period	1930 to 1939
Country of Manufacture	Austria
Identifying Marks	This piece has an attribution mark
Style	Art Deco
Detailed Condition	Very Good — This vintage item has no defects, but it may show slight traces of use.
Restoration and Damage Details	Light wear consistent with age and use
Product Code	NHU-746285
Materials	Bronze
Color	Silver
Width	27 cm 27 cm
Depth	13 cm 13 cm
Height	55 cm 55 cm
Weight Range	Standard — Between 40kg and 80kg

Shipping & Delivery

Ships from	United Kingdom
Returns	Returns accepted within 14 days of delivery, except for Made-to-order items

Delivery Options

Front Door Delivery: (Included in Every Order)	A skilled driver will unload the item(s) from the delivery truck and bring it to your building’s doorstep. You will be responsible for further transport beyond that point. We recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand; alternatively, you may upgrade to In-Home Delivery (see below). The delivery partner will email and/or call you at least one day in advance to arrange a delivery time. A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection. Item will be left in its packaging after delivery. A signature will be required upon delivery.
In-Home Delivery: (For in-home delivery service, additional fees apply. Please get in touch)	A skilled driver or a team of two will bring your item(s) inside your home and place it in the immediate entryway. For unusually large or heavy items, we recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand, as we cannot send more than 2 drivers. The delivery partner will email and/or call you one day in advance to arrange a delivery time. A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection. Item will be left in its packaging after delivery. A signature will be required upon delivery.

Front Door Delivery:
(Included in Every Order)

A skilled driver will unload the item(s) from the delivery truck and bring it to your building’s doorstep. You will be responsible for further transport beyond that point. We recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand; alternatively, you may upgrade to In-Home Delivery (see below).
The delivery partner will email and/or call you at least one day in advance to arrange a delivery time.
A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection.
Item will be left in its packaging after delivery.
A signature will be required upon delivery.

In-Home Delivery:
(For in-home delivery service, additional fees apply. Please get in touch)

A skilled driver or a team of two will bring your item(s) inside your home and place it in the immediate entryway. For unusually large or heavy items, we recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand, as we cannot send more than 2 drivers.
The delivery partner will email and/or call you one day in advance to arrange a delivery time.
A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection.
Item will be left in its packaging after delivery.
A signature will be required upon delivery.

*Important Note

Please examine every order upon delivery. In the event that there are visible signs of damage or missing or incorrect pieces, please indicate the problem on the Delivery Note and contact us within 48 hours of delivery. A signed delivery receipt without notations of missing, damaged, or incorrect item(s) represents your acceptance of the complete order in perfect condition.

About the Designer

Josef Lorenzl

Austrian sculptor and ceramist Josef Lorenzl (1892-1950) is remembered for his delicate and whimsical bronze and ivory sculptures and figurines, which are considered exemplars of Austrian Art Deco sculpture .

Born in 1892 in Vienna, Lorenzl apprenticed at a foundry at the military storage complex Vienna Arsenal, where he became skilled in bronze casting. Rather than working in traditional metalwork industries such as construction, Lorenzl turned his hand to sculpture. His work celebrated the female form, depicting graceful dancers. Like his contemporaries Ferdinand Preiss (1882-1943) and Demetre Chiparus (1886-1947), Lorenzl’s figurines were either made in bronze or chryselephantine, which is a combination of various materials in sculpture including, ivory, bronze, gold, and silver.

Early in his career, Lorenzl began working for the Austrian ceramics company Goldscheider, alongside Stephan Dakon (1904-1992). By the 1930s, both artists were the principal designers at Goldscheider.

Notable designs for Goldscheider include Captured Bird (c. 1922)—often referred to as Butterfly Wings—modeled after the 1920s actress and dancer Niddy Impekoven; the Egyptian Dancer (1922), also known as Odalisque, which represents a temple dancer from Verdi's Aida; and the Arabian Dancer (c. 1925). From the mid-1920s, Lorenzl began to focus more on nude sculptures, a change from his earlier designs which generally featured clothed women, in dancers’ dress, for which he is best known.

Over the course of his career, Lorenzl also worked for the Viennese companies Keramos, Wiener Kunstkeramik, and Porzellanmanufaktur AG, as well as the German firms Hertwig and Cortendorf.

Lorenzl passed away in 1950 in Vienna. It is rumored that after his death, Lorenzl’s wife Anna destroyed a large number of his sculptures. Most of his surviving pieces are signed either ‘Lor’ or ‘Enzl’, with some signed ‘Crejo’, after the painter who, for a period, worked alongside the sculptor, adding delicate gold and silver “filigree” paintwork to the bronze figurines. It is these rare Lorenzl-Crejo collaborations that are particularly sought-after by collectors.