An ample jug vase from the studio of Fritz Van Daalen. Glazed in a homey, 1970s colorway. Model Nr. 4736/35.

VAN DAALEN KERAMIK was established in 1938 by Fritz van Daalen in the small town of Schwäbisch Gmünd in southern Germany, about 50 km east of Stuttgart. Van Daalen ran a local store retailing handcrafted items, and he set up the ceramics workshop to produce figurines, wall plaques, and bowls to sell there. Production was suspended in 1943 for WWII and resumed in 1946. VAN DAALEN’s output eventually included a quantity of vitrified utilitarian ceramics.

By 1951, operations had been relocated to a farm outside of the town of Aalen, 20 km to the east. The ceramics modeler Friedrich Düpmann was hired by VAN DAALEN KERAMIK in 1952. His tenure was short-lived, but his designs set the tone for the firm’s production for the rest of the decade. (Düpmann was later employed at Steuler Keramik, where, arguably, he would do his most important work.) From the mid-1950s onward, van Daalen’s son Helmut (1923–2012) took responsibility for introducing new shapes and décors.

At some early point in its history, VAN DAALEN introduced the unusual and unfortunate practice of destroying the original models of shapes that were no longer financially viable. For instance, if demand for a particular vase dried up, its corresponding mold was shattered. VAN DAALEN KERAMIK ceased operations in 1973 when it could not find suitably skilled workers. Carstens took over the surviving molds and the company name.

VAN DAALEN always used dark red clay. Almost all items were marked on the base with a “VD” symbol, form number, and size. Earlier items had a relative size number (1-4); later items list the height in cm. Form numbers appear to be either between 0-200 or in the 4000s.

DETAILS

Maker – VAN DAALEN KERAMIK

Production Period/Year – 1970s

Designer – UNKNOWN

Design Period/Year – 1970s

Origin – WEST GERMANY

Styles/Movements – BOHO CHIC, MID-CENTURY MODERN

Materials – CERAMIC

Colors – OLIVE, CANARY, COFFEE, BRICK

Condition – Excellent vintage condition. May show minor signs of age and previous use.

Dimensions – 10 ½" DIAM. × 14" H