Austrian cold-painted bronze of a cat with a mouse or rat in its jaws stamped BERGM

Description

Vienna’s cold-painted bronze tradition, sometimes called Austrian bronzes, flourished from the mid-19th century onward, small cast animal figures finished with hand-applied cold enamel paint rather than fired glaze. This piece, a cat with a mouse or rat caught in its jaws, stamped BERGM, sits squarely in that tradition.

‘Cold-painted’ refers specifically to the technique, paint applied after casting and cooling, letting Viennese workshops achieve genuinely naturalistic colouring in a way plain patinated bronze couldn’t match.

Why the subject matter matters. Vienna bronze workshops covered everything from birds to elephants, but predator-and-prey moments like this one were a genuine specialty.

What to look for. The cold paint should retain real colour and detail rather than being worn to bare bronze, and the BERGM stamp should be clearly legible, both hold up well on this piece.

This piece is part of a small, genuinely personal collection of antiques, gathered over years rather than acquired for resale.