There's something quietly theatrical about this one. A boy stands with his trousers rolled up, hat on, satchel slung over his shoulder, caught mid-adventure rather than posed for a portrait, sea shells scattered at his feet as if he's just wandered up from the shoreline. Ernst Wahliss's Amphora workshop had a real gift for this kind of small narrative moment, and it shows here right down to the compote bowl beside him, its rim lined with children's faces peering out at whoever's looking back.
Mounted on a brass embossed base, the whole piece reads less like tableware and more like a tiny stage set, the sort of thing that turns a sideboard or console table into something worth a second look rather than just somewhere to put a vase.
Condition notes
Signs of restoration only on the boy figure; otherwise the piece is in excellent condition. The boy is missing his left hand, both legs are glued together, the neck is restored, and he is fixed to the tree with glue. There is a chip to the edge of the hat, and another at the back top of the hat.
