ALLACH 'LANDKNECHT MIT HALBERD', PAINTED

ALLACH 'LANDKNECHT MIT HALBERD', PAINTED
One of the rarest Allach pieces obtainable, the most desirable 'Landsnecht mit Halberd' ('Professional Foot Soldier with Halberd'), in its painted version. This exquisite hand-painted piece was created by artist Richard Foster and introduced in 1943. The piece stands 11 in. tall, beautifully painted and glazed, and bears on the bottom the Allach 'runes', 'R. FORSTER', and the model number '151'. This piece is painted in wartime Allach colors, though appears to be of late-war production. Additionally, there is one porcelain defect in the piece: in packing, our consignor slightly cracked the halberd where the head meets the wooden shaft. A wire is set within the porcelain to secure the head, which barely moves as it is, and the loss of porcelain at the top of the shaft is nearly undetectable from the front. From the rear, a minute chip is evident, and it could be easily filled and colored. In light of these issues, this piece is sold only as herein described. The porcelain factory Porzellan Manufaktur Allach was established as a private concern in 1935. In 1936 the factory was acquired by Heinrich Himmler to produce works of art that would represent, in Himmler's eyes, true Germanic culture. Production was based at Allach, the largest subcamp of Dachau, and it used slave labor in the production of these pieces. Only the finest artists would have worked on this particular piece, a great rarity.