Michael Powolny (1871–1954)

Two glazed ceramic elephant bookends.

Wiener Keramik, ca. 1920.

Michael Powolny was one of the most important Austrian ceramists and sculptors of the early 20th century. Trained at the Vienna School of Applied Arts, he was a central figure in the famous Wiener Werkstätte, helping shape the decorative language of Viennese modernism. Today, Powolny is recognized as one of the great innovators of 20th-century European design and ceramics, highly sought after by collectors and museums.