Mid 20th Century East German GDR Fat Lava Vase From Strehla Keramik, 1960s

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Offered is a 1960s ceramic vase with Fat Lava drip detail from Strehla Keramik in what was then known as … Read more Offered is a 1960s ceramic vase with Fat Lava drip detail from Strehla Keramik in what was then known as East Germany. The base color is a Robin's Egg blue, and the drip detail is a deep chocolate brown over green and navy thin horizontal stripes. The interior glaze is a smooth and glossy coffee color which contrasts well with the blue textured exterior. We hope this finds itself a new home with a mid 20th century pottery enthusiast.
Measures 7" tall, 3.875" diameter

German "Fat Lava" pottery is a style of ceramics from West Germany (1950s-1970s) characterized by thick, textured, and often dripping glazes that resemble flowing lava, with bold colors and sculptural shapes. The term likely arose from a mistranslation of "thick pumice," referring to the glaze's thickness, and is applied to a subset of the era's vibrant and collectible art pottery. The most defining feature is the "Fat Lava" glaze, which is thick, uneven, and can appear bubbly, cratered, or dripped. This creates a highly tactile and volcanic-like surface.

“Strehla Keramik” was a prominent East German pottery manufacturer, founded in 1828 in Dresden, likely named after the nearby town of Strehla in Saxony. The company is included here as its ceramics share many stylistic and technical similarities with West German art pottery from the same era. Strehla’s decorative vases and lava glazes were exported widely and are often collected alongside West German pieces, reflecting the broader trends in German ceramic design from the 1950s to the 1980s.
After World War II, Strehla became part of the German Democratic Republic and operated as “VEB Steingutfabrik Strehla” (Volkseigener Betrieb), a state-owned enterprise. The factory became known for its subdued, often brown clay vases and flower pots, which featured hand-applied glazes See less