Lot 129

Uhrenfabrik Union

A lady's magnificent, extremely rare Glashuette hunting case pocket watch with Prof. Carl Ludwig Graff case

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The pink gold case of this lady’s delicate hunting case watch is decorated with designs in the style developed by Professor Graff. Both sides are each engraved with cornucopia and a pair of birds as well as with flowers and oak leaves on dark niello ground. Both sides have a central medallion which on the back shows an image of the Roman goddess Minerva. The edge is intricately ornamented on both sides with palmetto leaves and egg and dart pattern.

Prof. Karl Ludwig Theodor Graff, who was appointed director of the Institute of Applied Arts in Dresden (Dresdner Kunstgewerbeschule) in 1875, to create designs in this vein. From the 1880s onwards, more and more ostentatious decorations were created at Lange & Soehne company. Professor Graff then copyrighted his design which had won first prize in the Institute of Applied Arts' 1890 competition for the design and decoration of pocket watch cases.