THE ITEM
This stunning Op Art, Modernist 1960s design studio piece was designed by Hans Welling for German pottery studio Ceremano.
The combination of Op Art with Modernist design around the 1970s overturned the pure Modernist design of utilitarianism, lack of ornamentation, mass production; and in turn, mass consumerism. The result was an exploration into the blending of influences with geometric ornamentation and reinterpretation being particularly celebrated.
The simple but elegant cylinder form of this particular piece is an excellent canvas for the decor. The glaze is a semi-matte turquoise hue that is further decorated by a ring of raised and mildly geometric 'crystals' relief. The crystals are arranged naturally, mimicking natural crystals and the edge of the individual crystal is highlighted with vivid indigo.
CONDITION
Excellent. No chips or cracks or repairs. Please refer to photos as they form part of the condition report. The underside of the vase base signed 'Ceralux, F' and numbered '102'.
MEASUREMENTS
Height: c. 5.5" / 14 cm tall (from base to tallest rim) x c. 3.5" / 9 cm wide (across body's widest point). Rim and base diameter: c. 2.4" / 6 cm. Unpackaged weight: c. 0.5 / 459 g
NOTES
Vase will be securely packaged and shipping will be insured. Shipping will be combined for multiple items.
A BIT OF HISTORY
Hans Welling
Welling was known to be responsible for some of the most sophisticated output of several of the best post-war German art-pottery manufacturers including Keto, Ruscha, and Ceremano. Welling served as the Ceremanos artistic director in the early 1960s, with many of the famous Ceremano shapes and decors being ascribed to him. Popular Ceremano works by Welling include: 'Pergamon,' 'Koralle,' 'Minerva,' 'Ceralux,' and 'Tundra.'
Ceramano (1959 - 1989)
Jakob Schwaderlapp who founded Jasba, founded Ceremano in 1959, with the intention for Ceremano to be a higher-end studio rather than a company that was would be commercially mass-production. Quality was high and production numbers relatively low. While the production from most commercial potteries was all moulded with minor manual decoration, Ceramano did both moulded and hand-thrown pieces. The studio employed many of the top artists of the day, notably (in addition to Welling and Heuckeroth) Dudas Laszlo. The items produced were generally of high quality and varied nature. Many of the more expensive pieces were completely handmade on a wheel—using Ceremano's signature reddish-brown clay. Sadly, despite its success, it would go on to close it's doors in 1989.