Austrian Art Noveau Tobacco Jar Bloch & Co late 19th C

Rare Bloch & Co Austrian tobacco jar of a young boy late 19th century

Considerable repair and chip to the boys hat/lid hence the price. ( pictured) Doesn’t affect the overall look.

Can deliver between Cork & Dublin - shipping TBA

Company & Location: Bloch established his factory, B. Bloch & Co., in Uncin, Bohemia (now part of the Czech Republic, near Teplice) in 1871. He later expanded by purchasing another prosperous firm in nearby Eichwald (now Dubí) in 1895.

The company produced a wide variety of items, including household porcelain, majolica, art pottery, decorative tiles, and tiled stoves. They were most famous for their "smoker's companions" and figural humidors, which often featured whimsical, detailed designs.

Style & Marks: Bloch's work is considered part of the Austrian Art Nouveau movement, often compared to contemporaries like Goldscheider. Pieces are often marked with an impressed "BB" or BU and sometimes "Austria" on the base.

After Bloch's death in 1909, the company continued under the Eichwald name, was later confiscated during the Nazi occupation (due to the family's Jewish heritage), and eventually nationalized and merged with other Czech porcelain companies, such as Royal Dux, in the mid-20th century.