RUSCHA Nr. R22 HANDLE VASE

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This gorgeous Ruscha Keramik R22 handle vase with its bubbly glaze of green and baby blue will make a bright and colorful statement when used with an arrangement of beautiful flowers or as a shelf or table top ornament on its own or in an arrangement of other striking objects in any contemporary or modern interior.

RUSCHA KERAMIK launched in 1948 when Rudolf Schardt assumed the management of Klein & Schardt, his father Georg's ceramics factory in the town of Rheinbach, located near Bonn in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.  (RUSCHA is a syllabic abbreviation of his name.)  The timing of the re-founding ensured that the company was in a good position to benefit from Germany's post-war growth boom.  RUSCHA KERAMIK became a leading manufacturer during the "golden age" of Western German ceramics and is credited with some of the era's key developments.  It produced some very successful and innovative forms and glazes, including the 'Vulcano' décor (Otto Gerharz, 1951)—which heralded the move towards thick, dripping fat-lava glazes—and the iconic no. 313 (Kurt Tschörner, 1954), probably the period's most famous shape.  Hanns Welling, Adele Bolz, Heinz Siery, and Cilli Wörsdörfer were among other notable designers to work for RUSCHA.

RUSCHA KERAMIK was celebrated for exquisite wall plates, plaques, and tiles—manufactured for both indoor and outdoor applications—as well as its high-quality vases.  Specimens from the 1970s will frequently exhibit remarkable lava and volcanic glazes.  When RUSCHA closed its factory in 1996, Scheurich acquired many of its designs and molds; distinctive silver RUSCHA labels were sometimes applied to the subsequent production.

Notes on identification:  White clay was used practically exclusively.  The rare examples made with red-brown clay are thought to date from periods when normal supply sources ran out.  Embossed and incised base-numbering was used for vessels.  If a vase was made in more than one size, a single digit indicating relative size followed the form number.  Low form numbers (< 100) were sometimes preceded by a letter.  Like a few other manufacturers RUSCHA KERAMIK occasionally recycled form numbers, a cause of distress for some collectors.  Pieces were never molded with "Germany" or "West Germany."

In rare instances, bases were hand-inscribed—less often, painted—with the name RUSCHA and a décor name (these tend to be earlier 1950s items).  Where stickers are found they always read "Ruscha Art."  Many items were not stickered.  Sometimes a retailer's label was applied.

Manufacturer Ruscha
Design Period 1970 to 1979
Production Period Unknown
Country of Manufacture Germany
Identifying Marks This piece has been attributed based on archival documentation, such as vintage catalogs, designer records, or other literature sources
Style Vintage, Mid-Century, Minimalist, Modernist, Brutalist, Rustic
Detailed Condition Excellent — This vintage piece is in near original condition. It may show minimal traces of use and/or have slight restorations.
Product Code
Materials Ceramic
Color Forest green, cyan
Width 5.3 inch
Depth 5.3 inch
Height 8.8 inch
Quantity Available – 0