Black Art Auction is grateful to Josephine Rydeng, Copenhagen, Denmark for her assistance in cataloging and researching these three lots of ceramics by W.H. Johnson.

In 1932, William H. Johnson (1901–1970) and his Danish wife, textile artist Holcha Krake (1885-1944) took a three month pilgrimage to Tunisia in North Africa. The couple stayed with indigenous Berber artisans in Nabeul . In a Danish interview from the 1934, Johnson recalls that he and Krake were introduced to the Berbers’ traditional techniques in ceramics and were taught age-old secrets of glazing and firing. The couple was taught how to make replicas of the ancient Berber ceramic patterns and their colors, but they also modified the designs and added their personal touch to them. The Berbers showed them how they extracted pigments from crushed plants, rocks and minerals from the hills surrounding Nabeul. The couple brought back to Denmark several kilos of powder for future use.

In October, 1932, four months after returning from their trip to Tunisia, they debuted their ceramic pieces at the local library in Kerteminde, Denmark. Examples of their ceramic work were also included in their joint shows at Aarhus 1933 and Copenhagen 1934, and years later, in December 1944 at the Marquie Gallery in New York.  This confirms the couple maintained their interest in the medium over the years.  —J.R.

Rydeng’s publication, Willie and Holcha in Africa, describes in detail the couple’s journey and reveals their discoveries and influences:

Lot 107

Arabian Leopard, 1932-1938; painted plaster sculpture, 26 x 13 x 7 inches, initialed underneath foot.
Provenance: The estate of Niels Lindberg. Nr. Broby. Funen, hence to a private collection, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Patinated plaster sculpture is a process in which plaster is applied and sculpted to create the desired shape, and then patina is applied to give a final finish. The brown-coloured patina is possibly the same pigments/colours that Johnson brought back from Tunisia in 1932.

The surface of Johnsons prowling leopard is textured with raw tool marks and is remarkably expressive in its shape. Although the feline is exceptional in the finely observed treatment of its anatomy, it appears that Johnsons focus was not only on realistic representation but also to evoke a sense of primeval impulse and vitality.

The Arabian leopard known in Arabic as “Al Nimr Al ’Arabi’ has long represented physical strength, fearlessness and freedom. It was idolized since ancient times by the North African Berbers and the word meaning “brave" in Arabic (Nimr) literary means Leopard.

Sightings of the Arabian leopard in Tunisia were already rare in the 1930s, (sadly, colonial hunting pushed it to extinction in 1960); therefore, it is doubtful that Johnson actually saw one. Instead, it’s probable that his inspiration came from his study of mosaics and sculptures found in Nabeul, Tunisia where he resided with Berber artisans in 1932.   —J.R.

Lot 108

untitled, ceramic tea set, 1932-1938
ceramic tea set , consisting of a pitcher with a lid, a creamer with a lid and a deep saucer; and three cups and saucers glazed in black, green and brown, tea pot height is 9 inches (with lid), initialed WHJ.

Provenance: The estate of Niels Lindberg. Nr. Broby. Funen, hence to a private collection, Copenhagen, Denmark.

In this tea set, Johnson has used an ancient Islamic technique, known as “splash ware”.  Each component has its own unique splatter, making each piece different. The colour combination of black, green and brown is known throughout North Africa and each colour holds spiritual symbolism, reflecting the values and beliefs of faith.

Black: represents the colour of Sunni Islam. Green: represents Jannah (The Muslim paradise) and also said to be the favourite colour of the Prophet Muhammad. Brown: represents the Earth. When Muslims say their daily prayers, they touch their heads to the ground as a physical reminder of their connection to the world.

Although there are many similarities to the traditional glazed terracotta sets found in Nabeul, Tunisia, Johnson's set is much more brightly coloured and its splashes markedly more dramatic.

In a Danish exhibition interview from 1934, Johnson recalls that during his stay, he experimented with the traditional patterns and design he had learned from the Berbers in Nabeul. When he showed the Berbers the result, they were awestricken. They had never seen their traditional designs used differently before. Johnson's creations were the first new styles seen in Nabeul since antiquity.  —J.R.

Johnson's voluminous vase with its pumpkin-like lobed forms makes you wonder if it’s a creation of nature or perhaps a substance formed at the dawn of mankind. It is likely a design inspired by the distinct geological characteristics seen in Northern Scandinavia. Art historian, Richard J. Powell, writes that Johnson’s stays in remote Scandinavian areas offered the artist a chance to celebrate his primitivist affinities.

At first glance, one might mistake its sculptural form for a classic design by Danish master ceramist, Axel Salto (1889-1961), whom Johnson met at Cagnes sur Mer, in 1928, the same year he met his future wife, Holcha Krake. Whether Johnson was inspired by Salto is unknown, but there is a marked similarity between this vase and the unusually rich glazes and organic shapes seen in Salto’s own work from this period.  —J.R.

Josephine Rydeng is an art dealer and appraiser based in Copenhagen, Denmark.  She works with her father, Hans in the Obro Gallery, established in 1905 by Josephine’s great-grandfather, N.P. Rydeng.  Josephine’s mother, Aicha, is North African, from the Berber tribes of the Atlas Mountains.  The Rydeng family is highly knowledgable in the field of Danish modern painters, and Josephine has done extensive research into the life and work of W.H. Johnson and his wife, Holcha Krake.  She is also very knowledgable about the history, culture and art of the Berbers in North Africa.