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FAT LAVA ART POTTERY: WEST GERMAN ART CERAMICS FROM THE 1960s AND 70s
HIGHLY COLLECTABLE RETRO ART POTTERY
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After firmly establishing themselves at the forefront of international ceramics design during the 1950s, modern West German ceramics underwent a second explosion in design during the 1960s and 70s, pushing boundaries of form, glaze and colour to their limits.
Fat lava is the collective name given to certain styles of postwar, West German art pottery, particularly from the 1960s and ‘70s. The genre gets its name from the thick, encrusted glazes that typify many of these pieces, some of which look as if their surfaces are composed of frozen flows of lava in radioactive hues ranging from fiery reds to cobalt blues. While the glazes were referred to at the time as lava glazes, the ‘fat’ designation is more recent, the result of the public’s particular fascination with pieces whose glazes are especially thick and textured.
Fat lava objects include large floor vases, smaller straight-sided jugs (some with ring handles near their mouths), and sculptural pieces that appear to have been chiseled and sliced, creating juxtapositions of smooth and gnarled surfaces. Some fat lava pieces seem to be outgrowths of the macrame-and-raku aesthetic of 1960s hippie culture, while others have a postmodern, almost pop-culture look to them, sporting deliberately childlike designs like flowers, some rendered in deep relief.
The most prolific fat lava ceramics factories of the period include Bay, Carstens, Jasba, Spara, Scheurich, and Ubelacker. Other well-regarded makers were Jopeko, Klein, Otto, Roth, and Ruscha.
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ITEMS FOR SALE
I imported all the items on offer from Germany for my own private collection many moons ago.
With retirement looming on the horizon, these beauties now (sadly) require a new home.
DIMENSIONS / DETAILS OF THIS ITEM
Height : approx 222 mm
Weight : 480 g
Marked '400-22 W.GERMANY' on its base
CONDITION
All items are in excellent vintage condition with signs of age-related wear but no visible chips, cracks, bumps or chips.
POSTAGE/LOGISTICS
R40 per item via SA Post Office, but it is more economical to combine items for reduced costs (and to consider a courier service).
Collection in person (Cape Town) may be arranged. Please contact me for a quote prior to payment when buying more than one item.
MANY MORE ITEMS!
* Please do have a look at my other art glass (mostly rare Czech art glass) and West German art ceramic / art pottery items:
Simply click on 'Bookfinder' (top right on this screen).
Some of the pottery items on offer are reflected in the image below.
THE PRESS
J’ADORE LAVA FAT
PAINTING POTTERY CAFE, BRIGHTON
Mark Hill’s recent book on ‘Fat Lava’ is a highly recommended reference.
The image of the item constitutes its description.
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