Wrought iron epergne, Cyril Colnik, Milwaukee, late nineteenth or early twentieth century.
Object name
Epergne
Alternate object name
Centerpiece
Maker
Colnik, Cyril, 1871-1958
Date
1893-1955
Dimensions
16"H x 10" base diam.
Materials and techniques
Painted wrought iron
Original location
Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Current location
Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Description
The curving botanical forms of this wrought iron epergne or centerpiece reveal the influence of the Art Nouveau style. Base formed of dramatically curved stems and leaves. Two cattails with twisted tops at center. Traces of red and green paint on flowers and stems.
History
Trained in Vienna and Munich, master metalworker Cyril Colnik settled in Milwaukee in 1893, where he created decorative wrought iron work for dozens of homes and public buildings until his retirement in 1955. He also designed vases, candlesticks, door hardware, and other ornamental wares in a variety of styles. The Colnik Collection of the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum includes more than 200 examples of Colnik's work donated to the museum by his daughter Gretchen Colnik in 1991. The Villa Terrace is also home to the Colnik Archive, an extensive collection of original drawings, blueprints and photographs donated by the Kohler Foundation in 2002.
