Eye candy

It's a bit of a blogging cliche, but I don't have a lot of time to write new posts at the moment. But I do have some eye candy to share! We have moved house this summer, and I now have an entire attic that I can fill with vases. I'm such a happy camper! 

And this is only the beginning. I'm still sorting through boxes that were stored at my parents house and deciding what may stay and what will be sold. So if you're interested in West-German pottery, keep an eye on the store. I've already added part of my Es-keramik collection, but there will be plenty more!

Ceramic Lava

A while ago I showed you two of my favorite pieces from my own collection, two beautiful Ruscha bulls. The bull with the amazing blue/purple glaze was a gift from my parents, the other orange glazed one was actually the first bull in my collection, which I bought in a local auction. This orange glaze is one of my all time favorite glazes ever produced on West-German pottery.

The glaze was produced by Ruscha, designed by Otto Gerharz in 1959. Ruscha called the decor Vulcano; a very apt name indeed, as it reminds me of real lava and vulcanoes, especially because of the fiery orange glaze that is divided by rivers of darker greens. Most examples of this glaze have a lovely organic look and feel, as this isn't a smooth glaze, which contributes even more to the idea of lava.

The "West-Germany historians" often see this glaze as the turning point for West-German pottery. The pre-volcano glazes were typical of the fifties, mostly with pastel colored decorations. They were very pretty, but also a bit meek. 

Vulcano was one of the first daring glazes, which would be the start of two decades of innovative and experimental glazes and forms. Many people say that the dripping of the Vulcano glaze is the first step onto the road of the real Fat Lava glazes that marked the 1970s.

In addition to being the first step on the road to the future, I also feel that the glaze has roots in a long tradition of pottery. The glaze reminds me of the Japanese Raku wares, but also of Chinese oxide glazes.

The glaze isn't in production anymore, as heavy metals were added to make it. I do think that is a good thing, and I hope it will stay that way, because it makes the life of collectors so much easier!

Personally, the thing that draws me to this glaze is the diversity. Every single piece of Vulcano in my collection is different, and all are beautiful. The glaze is so tactile, and organic. The pieces that have a lot of green are stunning, they look like something that could have come from nature. 

Over the years, I was lucky enough to encounter several pieces of Vulcano glaze, and although they are getting more difficult to find, I managed to pick up this great pocket vase this winter. My other current favorite items are the extremely elegant 339 shape, the large 315 and, of course, the bull.

Although I love my collection, there are still two pieces on my wishlist that I hope to add in the coming years: a deer, and the classic 313 pitcher. A girl can hope, right? 

Orange UFOs

From the first time I picked up one of the vases made by Walter Gerhards KG, they became one of my all-time favorite companies that made West-Germany vases during the sixties and seventies.

A lot of mystery still surrounds this maker, and our knowledge is definitely fragmentary. They were first thought to be called Söndgen, later Kera Keramik, but we only recently found out that the company was actually  called Walter Gerhards KG, and they were located at the epicenter of the German ceramics industry in Ransbach - Baumbach, located in the famous Westerwald area. The company was probably led by Mr. Walter Gerhards himself, as he is listed as the liable person for the company in the companies registry (Handelsregister). They existed only for a short period of time: from 1959 until January 25, 1978, when it was deregistered. During this period the factory apparently produced items under the names "WG Kera Modern" and "WG Exquisite Kera Modern" from 1959 until 1974, and from 1974 until 1978 under the name "Gerhards" and "Gerhards Gmbh". Labels on these vases seem relatively rare, but most vases are marked in a specific way, that can help us recognize them.

Because the company only existed for 19 years, this would logically mean that the output from Walter Gerhards KG is much smaller, and thus rarer, than the output from large and long existing companies like Scheurich or Ruscha.

So why do I love the vases that were made by Walter Gerhards? The ranges produced have strong shapes, that for me are characteristic for the Mid Century Modern period, mostly with sharp angles combined with curved lines.  Some shapes are unlike anything any other company ever made, and they are very innovative.

One of my favorite shapes is the 1040, or as we like to call it in our family: the 'UFO vase'. I can imagine that the design of the vase was inspired by the space race of the 1950s and 1960s - or by the interest in extraterrestrial life, as was not uncommon in design of this era.

"Look! A flying Walter Gerhards vase!"

For me this design is the perfect example of a combination of strong straight lines with curvy lines, something West-German pottery is renowned for. This vase comes in several glazes, so far I have 5 and a few small variations, but my favorite is the version that comes with thick black lava and is combined with a beautiful red/yellow/orange glaze, as pictured below.

As you can see, these wonderful outlandish shapes were combined with some of the most beautiful glazes. Walter Gerhards uses daring color combinations such as bright green on black, purple with yellow, and orange with black. For me these colors ooze the seventies. In addition to colors, a lot of attention in the design is paid to using different textures. Thick lava drippings are combined with extremely glossy glazes, and matte backgrounds are mixed with shiny glazes.

Another important aspect for me is the high quality of these vases. The vases are quite heavy and the glazes seem expensive. They look more like studio vases than mass-produced vases, but I'm not sure if that is true. Unlike some companies, I have never seen a Walter Gerhards vase with a production error or with unglazed areas. All in all, they are just nice to handle, to touch!

In my opinion Walter Gerhards is still very much underrated by West-Germany collectors, and maybe this is because the output of the factory seems small and so little information is yet known about the company. Hopefully we will find out some more information about Walter Gerhards and his company in the future. I would definitely recommend picking up some pieces now, as bargains can still be found,  if only because they make a wonderful addition to the collection of any Fat Lava lover!

High quality glazes and beautiful shapes

Do you have any wonderful examples of Walter Gerhards pottery, or new glazes on the 1040 that you want to share! Let me know in the comments section, I would love to see them!

A lot of theinformation used on this blog was shared by members on the amazing pottery & glass forum. If you love West-German pottery and have never visited the site, please go and have a look! www.potteryandglass.forumandco.com

A volcanic welcome!

A volcanic welcome!

Almost exactly 8 years ago I picked up my first West-Germany vase at a yard sale of a local nursing home. It was a Scheurich 517-38, with the Lora décor. It even had the original label. Although it was love at first sight, I never suspected that buying this one item would lead to a collection of several hundred (mostly fat lava) vases, and a life long passion for all things vintage.

The smallest Lora ever?

The Lora vase still has a proud place in the displayed part of my collection. The décor became one of my favorites and I have collected several items with the same glaze over the years. As these vases have given me so much joy, I would love to share some of the stories and history behind them. You can expect to find information on the factory and glazes, but I will also share some of the anecdotes behind personal favorites in my collection and new finds. It'll mostly be about West-Germany pottery, but as I also encounter other wonderful vintage items during my scavenging, so I wouldn't want to keep these treasures from you.

I hope you'll enjoy my stories and these vases as much as I do. If you already love West-Germany pottery and have your own amazing collection, I hope you'll be able to find that nugget of information that you didn't knew yet, and if you're new to this Fat Lava thing, who knows, maybe I can spark a new passion?

Enjoy!

Leanne