“He has no teeth. They pulled his teeth. The poor animal,” scoffs Horst Lichter when he sees the stately ceramic tiger standing in the “Bares for Rares” expert room. Albert Maier immediately contradicts that that is the model. But for the lights, the name is clear: “the toothless tiger”.
Eckhard and David Karnahl, father and son from Saxony, brought the magnificent animal with them. They need the space at home, as they say. “And you could also say: At some point you’ve had your fill,” Lichter continues to etch against the ceramic figure.
But then Albert Maier takes the floor and promotes the “imposing depiction”: “The tiger is inscribed, the manufacturer is known. It is signed. The artist is also known. The depiction is impressive,” enthuses the expert.
The example was made in Czechoslovakia. The designs come from the Swedish-Austrian artist Otto Jarl, who made them around 1910. Maier identifies the Bohemian manufacturer Royal Dux, which has been around since 1853, as the manufacturer. He dates the present figure to the 1960s.
Except for a small fracture, Maier has nothing to complain about. “Okay, he doesn’t have any more teeth,” Lighten blasphemes, and then asks the seller for the desired price. They would be satisfied with 300 euros. But Albert Maier corrects the sum upwards: the expert believes 400 to 500 euros is possible.
When Fabian Kahl lifts the ceiling, a murmur goes through the dealer’s room. Everyone is enthusiastic about the stately tiger. “I think it’s a highly decorative piece,” says Lisa Nüdling.
She’s not alone in her enthusiasm: Kahl opens the auction with 150 euros, and all five of those present bid – which doesn’t happen often. Nüdling made the highest bid, she was awarded the bid for 500 euros. For this she gets recognition from Wolfgang Pauritsch afterwards: “Well done”, the Austrian praises his colleague. For a brief moment, everyone enjoys the sight of the big cat.
Source: “Bares for Rares” in the ZDF media library
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