A striking, orange-on-black, fat lava vase from RUSCHA KERAMIK. The textured matt black body is topped with contrasting, glossy orange, flowing fat lava.

RUSCHA KERAMIK was launched in 1948 when Rudolf Schardt assumed management of Klein & Schardt, his father Georg's ceramics factory in Rheinbach—a small town southeast of Bonn in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia with a long tradition of earthenware pottery. (RUSCHA is a syllabic abbreviation of the name Rudolf Schardt.) The timing of the takeover put Schardt in a good position to take advantage of West Germany's post-war boom, and RUSCHA KERAMIK would become one of the leading lights of the "golden age" of German ceramics.

RUSCHA is credited with some of the era's key developments. It produced some very successful and innovative forms and finishes, including the iconic model Nr. 313 (Kurt Tschörner, 1954)—probably the period's most famous shape—and the Vulcano décor (Otto Gerharz, 1951), which anticipated by decades the move toward thick, dripping "fat-lava" glazes.

As well as high-quality vases, RUSCHA is celebrated for exquisite wall plates, plaques, and tiles—manufactured for both indoor and outdoor applications. Specimens from the '70s often exhibit remarkable volcanic glazes. When RUSCHA shuttered its factory in 1996, Scheurich Keramik acquired many of its designs and molds; distinctive silver RUSCHA labels were sometimes applied to the subsequent production.

IDENTIFICATION: RUSCHA KERAMIK used white clay almost exclusively. Rare examples made with red-brown clay are thought to date from periods when normal supply sources ran out. Vessels are typically embossed or incised with form numbers on their bases. If a model was available in more than one size, a single digit indicating relative size follows the form number (separated by dash or virgule). Lower form numbers (< 100) are occasionally preceded by a letter. Along with a handful of other manufacturers, RUSCHA would sometimes recycle model numbers—a cause of distress for some ardent collectors.

KEY DESIGNERS:

• Otto Gerharz
• Kurt Tschörner
• Hanns Welling
• Adele Bolz
• Heinz Siery
• Cilli Wörsdörfer

DETAILS

Maker – RUSCHA KERAMIK

Production Period/Year – 1960s

Designer – UNKNOWN

Design Period/Year – 1960s

Origin – WEST GERMANY

Styles/Movements – ABSTRACT; MID-CENTURY MODERN

Materials – CERAMIC

Colors – BLACK, ORANGE

Condition – Excellent vintage condition. No flaws. May show slight traces of wear consistent with age and use.

Dimensions – 4 ½" DIAM. × 7 ¼" H