Pair of Kurt Tschörner for Ruscha Keramik, Sculptural Abstract 321 Jug Vases, 1960s-70s, WGP
Regular price
$835.00
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These sleek and chic works of iconic mid-century Modern art pottery are by celebrated and prominent designer Kurt Tschörner (b. 1912 - d. 1987) for the influential West German Pottery studio of Ruscha Keramik (1905 - 1996).
The form features gently exaggerated curves and arches all over, reminiscent of popular works of Italian art potteries such as Bertoncello Ceramiche and Roberto Rigon with echoes of architectural geometricism worked into the design. The form is an excellent canvas for the semi-matte and textured lava glaze with similarly bold, hand-painted curves, delineation, charming florals, and colour palette.
With the seamlessly blended echoes of Italian mid-century art pottery design and earlier Art Deco and Picasso-Cubist-esque influences to the form, it's easy to see why this form is sought after.
The combination of the form, condition, sizes, and palette makes this duo an even rarer find. These statement works are excellent for stand-alone display.
CONDITION Excellent. No chips, cracks, or repair. There is negligible surface wear and movement marks on the underside of the bases that is commensurable with the age of the pieces - please see photos as part of the condition report. The underside of the bases are signed - the taller: '321/4, Ruscha, Handgemalt (Handmade) M' and the smaller '321/3, Ruscha, Handgemalt (Handmade) Ed'.
MEASUREMENTS 321/4 Height: c. 9.6" / 24.3 cm (from base to rim) x c. 6.5" / 16.5 cm in length (across longest point). Width: c. 4.3" / 11 cm. Base measurements: c. 3.5" / 9 cm.
321/3 Height: c. 7.9" / 20 cm (from base to rim) x c. 5.1" / 13 cm in length (across longest point). Width: c. 3.9" / 10 cm. Base measurements: c. 2.9" / 7.3 cm. Unpackaged weight [Pair]: c. 1.2 kg / 1,215 g
A BIT OF HISTORY Ruscha (established 1906 - 1996) Originally founded in Rheinbach by Georg Schardt, it was known as Klein & Schardt until 1948. Rudolf Schardt would take over the company and rename it to Ruscha, the name created from the first letters of his fore and surname. As Ruscha entered the ceramics boom in the 1950s, the pottery was joined by art pottery director Cili Wörsdörfer who made her handpainted designs for series such as Milano and Zebra wildly popular. Otto Gerharz was the production director, designing innovative glazes such as Vulkano.
Ruscha would later add to its success with Kurt Tschörner joining in the 1960s, designing whimsical and daring forms such as the 313 and 321 jug vase that became and remain sought-after hits.
Other greats who joined Ruscha included Ernst Borens, Hans Welling and Adele Bolz. Unfortunately, the pottery's success came to an end in the 1990s, when it finally closed its doors in 1996, selling its name and many designs to Scheurich who produced vintage-inspired designs under the 'Ruscha Art' brand.
This sleek and chic work of iconic mid-century Modern art pottery is by influential West German Pottery studio of Ruscha Keramik (1905 - 1996).
The form features gently exaggerated curves inward becoming an excellent canvas for the semi-matte and textured lava glaze with bold, hand-painted curves, round-angled shapes, charming blue and yellow florals. The colour palette is whimsical, carrying echoes of the 1960s-70s Flower Power period during which the piece was created.
The combination of the form, condition, size, and palette makes it a rare find. This work makes it an excellent statement piece for stand-alone display.
CONDITION Excellent. No chips, cracks, or repairs. There is negligible surface wear and movement marks on the underside of the base that is commensurable with the age of the piece - please see photos as part of the condition report. The underside of the base is signed with '708 2, Ruscha, Handgemalt (Handmade) BW'.
MEASUREMENTS Height: c. 2.8" / 7 cm (from base to rim) x c. 12.7" / 32.3 cm in width (across widest point). Base measurements: c. 3.9" / 9.9 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 1.2 kg / 1,190 g
A BIT OF HISTORY Ruscha (established 1906 - 1996) Originally founded in Rheinbach by Georg Schardt, it was known as Klein & Schardt until 1948. Rudolf Schardt would take over the company and rename it to Ruscha, the name created from the first letters of his fore and surname. As Ruscha entered the ceramics boom in the 1950s, the pottery was joined by art pottery director Cili Wörsdörfer who made her handpainted designs for series such as Milano and Zebra wildly popular. Otto Gerharz was the production director, designing innovative glazes such as Vulkano.
Ruscha would later add to its success with Kurt Tschörner joining in the 1960s, designing whimsical and daring forms such as the 313 and 321 jug vase that became and remain sought-after hits.
Other greats who joined Ruscha included Ernst Borens, Hans Welling and Adele Bolz. Unfortunately, the pottery's success came to an end in the 1990s, when it finally closed its doors in 1996, selling its name and many designs to Scheurich who produced vintage-inspired designs under the 'Ruscha Art' brand.
This striking work of 1930s Bauhaus Art Deco design is by Carstens Uffrecht Pottery and attributed to the then lead designer Hildegard Delius (b. 1896 - d. 1955).
The geometric Bauhaus influence is very evident in the evenly-arched, stylised architectural form and further accentuated through subtle plays of cross-hatching within the glaze décor. The sumptuous hand-painted glaze is a base of Vanilla cream that is overlaid with a palette of orange shades, including Apricot, Marmalade, Amber, and Ochre, and further elevated through deeper Coffee brown tones.
Whether on display or used around the home, this work is timelessly stylish in design yet also an excellent representation of the Bauhaus Art Deco movement.
CONDITION Excellent. No chips or repairs. There is a single hairline stress crazing that is very faintly visible to the naked eye but commensurable with the age of the piece, please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report. The underside of the dish is marked with Carsten Uffrecht's stamp denoting 'DEK18' and model number '444'.
MEASUREMENTS Height: c. 2.6" / 6.5 cm tall (from base to rim) x c. 11.8" / 30 cm in length (across longest point). Width: c. 9.6" / 24.5 cm (across widest point) Base measurements: c." 6.4 / 16.2 cm x c. 5.9" / 15 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 1.0 kg / 980 g
NOTES Dish will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.
A BIT OF HISTORY Carstens Uffrecht that was founded in 1845 by Jacob Uffrecht. After the Second World War, the Carstens family lost their ceramics and porcelain factories in East German territory. In 1945, Carstens Uffrecht became the East German vases maker VEB Haldensleben. VEB stands for the German “Volkseigener Betrieb”, meaning a people-owned enterprise and related to state-owned workplaces in the GDR.
Hildegard Delius (1896-1955) and her husband Klaus Delius were the known designers from the mid-1920s to mid-1930s at Carstens Uffrecht, echoing the architectural vision of Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius.
VEB Haldensleben mainly concentrated on making vases of high quality. Like the vases of Strehla, the colours are more subdued than the vases from West Germany. Often there is at least one metallic glaze on the vases. When Germany was reunited in 1990, the former East German factory was again owned by the Carstens family and the name was changed to Carstens Keramik Rheinsberg.
Reiner Gehrig, Grünstadt Studio, Matte Cedar, Sand and Blue Running Glaze Bottle Vase | 1980s
Regular price
$358.00
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This exquisite work of 70s Modernist studio art ceramic is by master ceramist Reiner Gehrig (b. 1938 - ) Grünstadt Studio. Gehrig owned Grünstadt, enjoying a long and successful career before retiring in 2013.
This brilliantly executed work is a shining example of Gehrig's signature style, a fusion of a sculpted, lightly geometric, polished form combined with a touch-inviting, sumptuous running glaze.
The deceptively simple bottle form is crafted with inflection points which create the three softly geometric segments and is finished with an elegantly tapered neck. The base glaze to this piece is a rich hares fur glaze of matte brown tones from deep Umber to tones of warm Cedar, Cinnamon and Coffee. Overlaid onto the base glaze is resplendent running blue glaze in tones of Azure, Cobalt, Aegean and Indigo which intersperses with earthy hues of Cedar and Blonde.
CONDITION Excellent- no chips, cracks or repairs. There is mild wear on the underside of the base that is commensurate with the age of the piece. Mentioned for completeness: there is the polishing on the underside of the base that is from the production process and is not damage. Please see photos as they form part of the condition report. The underside also bears Gehrig's signature 'g' pottery mark.
MEASUREMENTS Height: c. 7.5" / 19 cm tall by c. 4.9" / 12.5 cm wide (across the body's widest point). Base diameter: c. 1.9" / 4.8 cm. Rim diameter: c. 0.6" / 1.6 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 0.6 kg / 630 g
NOTES Vase will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.
A BIT OF HISTORY Gehrig began apprenticing with ceramics in 1954, at the age of 16. He would work his way through apprenticeship to journeyman until he attended and graduated in 1961 from the master class with Hubert Griemert (b. 1905 - d. 1990) in Höhr-Grenzhause. Griemert was an important figure in the German studio pottery world, a professor, master potter who often designed for KPM Berlin.
After graduating, Gehrig spent some years working for recognised names such as JLKnödgen, Van Daalen, Ulmer Keramik, Steingutfabrik Grünstadt before establishing his own studio in 1974.
Gehrig is known for having quickly and confidently developed his own style, becoming particularly proficient with turning difficult forms. He was known to work in ceramic, porcelain, stoneware and developing a rich range of glazes, from running to salt glaze.
In his long career, Gehrig was awarded the Palatinate Prize for arts and crafts and his work features in collections at the Deidesheim, Museum of Modern Ceramics, Höhr-Grenzhausen, and the Ceramic Museum Westerwald Mainz, Ministry of Culture.
1960s-70s West German, ‘Blue Skies and Tutti Frutti Ice Cream’ Palette, Op Art Bottle Vase
Regular price
$78.00
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This chicly fun, Modernist Op Art work that is brimming with Summery vibes is of mid-century German design.
Crafted from white clay, the form of this piece is that of a stylised Moon Flask. The two 'faces' of the vase bears a finishing of lightly ingrained concentric circles, which give a tactile, rippling effect. The subtle but elegant form makes this an excellent piece for the art of Ikebana [tr. 'making flowers alive'.] and a superb canvas for the beautiful glaze. The base gloss glaze is a cool Sky blue that has been overlaid with a free-flowing Daisy white upon which is an infusion of coloured sprinklings in tones Blueberry, Strawberry, Lemon and Lime.
This piece will emit its reminders of Summer fun whatever the season.
CONDITION Excellent. No chips, damage or repairs. There is mild use wear that is most evident in movement marks on the underside of the base, please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report.
MEASUREMENTS Height: c. 8.3" / 21 cm x Width: c. 5.7" / 14.6 cm (across widest point). Depth c. 3.1" / 8 cm. Rim opening c. 1.6" / 4 cm. Base measurements: c. 3.1" / 7.8 cm x c. 1.8" / 4.5 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 0.6 kg / 550 g
NOTES Vase will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.
