THE ITEM
This stunning work of mid-century design is by Czech pottery Ditmar Urbach, produced in 1964. This particular piece from the Julie series in the Cream and Caramel colour palette, other colourways of this series include charcoal, cream and green.
The elegantly balanced baluster form is an excellent canvas for the poured glaze decor. The base glossy glaze is a rich cream, over which is poured layers of a translucent, golden caramel glaze and more cream glaze. The curves of the vase helped create the beautiful flowing trails of cream. The diffusion effect created is like that of dipping a watercolour paintbrush into clear water.
CONDITION
Excellent. No chips, cracks or repairs. There is mild and negligible use wear on the interior and the exterior that is commensurate with the age of the piece. Please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report. The underside of the vase base is inscribed with 'JULIE 1964' and further marked with Ditmar Urbach's stamp.
MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 9.8" / 25 cm tall by 6.1" / 15.5 cm diameter (across widest point). Rim diameter: c. 3.7" / 9.5 cm. Base diameter: c. 3.7" / 9.5 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 1.5 kg / 1,465 g
NOTES
Vase will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured.
Shipping will be combined for multiple items.
A BIT OF HISTORY
Ditmar-Urbach AG Porcelain Factories operated under various names in Turn-Teplitz, Bohemia (later Trnovany, Czechoslovakia), from 1882 to 1938. The pottery began as Brothers Urbach. It merged with a factory owned by Rudolf Ditmar's heirs in 1919 and became Ditmar-Urbach.
The Nazis took over the factory from the Jewish owners in 1938 and it became part of Ostmark-Ceramic. It was nationalized after the end of the war in 1945. In 1947 Kurt Lichtenstern - heir to Ditmar Urbach's previous owner Richard Lichtenstern - who had emigrated to the U.S. and changed his name to Conrad H. Lester, took back the company. The final change was when the company was eventually taken over in 1967 by the Keramik Holding Laufen, which is now part of the ROCA group.
Ditmar Urbach produced in a broad range of styles for their decor and are well known for their handpainted Art Deco animal-themed kitchenalia and 'Alienware' series, named by collectors for their unusual combination of shapes, colours and glazes.