Art Nouveau German Pewter Basket Tray

An Art Nouveau pewter square basket tray, Circa 1900, with stylised pierced handle and raised leaf and berry decorated border, raised makers mark for Kayserzinn, Germany and numbered 4710 for the design.

Kayserzinn was founded in the early 19th Century in Kaiserswerth, Germany. In 1864 Johan Peter Kayser's eldest son, Engelbert Kayser, opened an atelier and by 1890 he employed and collaborated with two artists and designers; Hugo Leven and Karl Geyer. The collaboration led to the development of a collection of floral decorations in relief, made by Leven, as seen in this piece.

In 1900, during the Paris worldwide exhibition, Engelbert Kayser received a gold medal as the main designer of Kayserzinn factory in Krefeld. By 1904 Kayserzinn also received recognition at the world exhibition in St. Louis (USA) but after this high point, production started to diminish and Leven and Fauser left the atelier. Engelbert Kayser died in Cologne in 1911, and the outbreak of the first world war, together with the increasing price of tin caused the total closure of the atelier.

After the War, the company slid into decline, the moulds from the Art Nouveau era were sold and, in February 1930, the company closed for ever.