1970s Dümler & Breiden "Fat Lava" West Germany Art Pottery Vase

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This 1970s West German art pottery vase is a fantastic and rare piece for your collection. Equally gorgeous in your … Read more This 1970s West German art pottery vase is a fantastic and rare piece for your collection. Equally gorgeous in your mid-century home as other design styles.

This vase was made by the German factory of Dümler & Breiden. It has an enamel, red-orange central band with leaf-like decoration and raised zig-zag lines. The top and bottom are speckled off white with a glossy black interior. The vase is stamped Dümler & Breiden's "108 20 GERMANY."

West German art pottery (sometimes referred to as Fat Lava or German art pottery) has become increasingly popular in recent years. Fat lava is the name given to certain styles of post-war, West German art pottery, particularly from the 1960s and 1970s. The genre gets its name from the thick 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 such as the fiery reds on this vase.

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. The pottery is famed for the use of bold, bright colors—often set against a black pumice lava glaze. Sculptural shapes, tactile designs and painterly qualities create a range of ceramics that is genuinely striking.

Dümler & Breiden were one of the biggest German ceramic producers. Based in the Hohr-Grenzhausen region of Germany, they were established in 1883, and closed in 1992. Their output encompassed quite a diverse range from pieces inspired by Pop Art or primitive folk art to more traditional pieces. See less