Albert Caasmann (2 June 1886 – 23 March 1968) was a German sculptor and

porcelain Porcelain () is a ceramic material made by heating substances, generally including materials such as kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainl ...

artist. Caasmann designed toy figures for the

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

toy company Lineol and from 1919 to 1952 was the lead designer and production manager for the company. He designed figurines for the porcelain companies

Rosenthal AG Rosenthal is a German and Jewish surname meaning "rose valley". Notable people with the name include: A * Abe M. Rosenthal (1922–2006), ''New York Times'' editor and columnist *Albert Rosenthal (1863–1939), American portrait artist * Albert ...

and Volkstedt. Caasmann's work for the company Rosenthal are exhibited in the Porzellanikon's Rosenthal Museum. Lineol toy figures modeled by Caasmann are in the Historical Toy Museum in

Freinsheim Freinsheim (; Palatine German: Fränsem) is a town in the Bad Dürkheim district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With about 5,000 inhabitants, it is among the state's smaller towns. It is also the seat of the like-named ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a ...

and the Toy museum in

Havelland Geographically, the Havelland is the region around which the River Havel flows in a U-shape between Oranienburg to the northeast and Rhinow to the northwest. The northern boundary of the Havelland is formed by the River Rhin and the Rhin Canal. ...

Biography

Albert Caasmann Rosenthal figurine of Satyr

Albert Caasmann was born on 2 June 1886 in

, Germany. From 1909 to 1919, he worked as a freelancer for the Berlin toy company Lineol, founded by Oskar Wiederholz in 1906. After service as a soldier in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he became the leading designer and production manager of Lineol from 1919 to 1952. He designed over 600 figures for Lineol, including soldiers, animals, Indians, knights, fairy figures, and railroad figures. His toy figures were widely used in the region by children. Lineol ceased operations in 1965, and in 1985 the company Lineol Duscha has the trademark rights to Lineol. Lineol Duscha reproduces Lineol figures modeled before 1945. Lineol toy figures modeled by Caasmann are in the Historical Toy Museum in

and the Toy museum in

. Caasmann spent time in the

Berlin Zoo The Berlin Zoological Garden (german: link=no, Zoologischer Garten Berlin) is the oldest surviving and best-known zoo in Germany. Opened in 1844, it covers and is located in Berlin's Tiergarten. With about 1,380 different species and over 20,2 ...

, where he modeled his animal models. He made a model for a porcelain

cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...

group, manufactured by the

Rudolstadt Rudolstadt is a town in the German federal state Thuringia, with the Thuringian Forest to the southwest, and to Jena and Weimar to the north. The former capital of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, the town is built along the River Saale inside a wide va ...

Thuringia Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million. Erfurt is the capital and larg ...

, German porcelain company Volkstedt. From 1912–1923, he modeled figurines based on his own designs for the porcelain manufacturer

in Selb. In 1923 he modeled four figurines based on the paintings by Austrian painter

Hanns Pellar Hanns is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Hanns Blaschke (1896–1971), Austrian politician *Hanns Bolz (1885–1918), German expressionist and cubist painter * Hanns Brandstätter (born 1949), Austrian fencer *Hanns Braun (18 ...

for Rosenthal. The figurines Caasmann modeled for Rosenthal based on Pellar's paintings were Dreaming Night, Faun Group, Round Dance, and Shepard's Hour, Caasmann's work for the company Rosenthal are exhibited in the Porzellanikon's Rosenthal Museum. Cassman died on 23 March 1968 in

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a states of Germany, state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an ar ...

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

. The street Caasmannstraße in Brandenburg was named by the city in honor of Albert Caasmann.

References

External links

Albert Caasmann
on artnet
Albert Caasmann
on Schmidt, Kunstauktionen Dresden {{DEFAULTSORT:Caasmann, Albert German sculptors 1886 births 1968 deaths German ceramists Toy designers Animal sculptures in Germany Figurines 20th-century ceramists