A rare, 1970s, bottle-green “belly” vase from ROTH KERAMIK. A very crusty, metallic dove-gray zigzag of volcanic fat lava slips down to skirt the waist of this classic “UFO.” The base is marked with the form Nr. (110) and country of origin (W. GERMANY).

ROTH KERAMIK was founded in the late 1960s, or very early 1970s, by husband-and-wife team Edmund and Dorothea Roth. The factory was situated in Ebernhahn, roughly halfway between Cologne (Köln) and Frankfurt, in the Westerwald region of Germany. A central hub for the German ceramics industry, the area is known as the Kannenbäckerland (jug-baker’s land) and is home to the largest clay deposit in Europe. Quite small compared to the big names of German art pottery, ROTH employed only about 20 people in its heyday. Its output was naturally tiny when measured against that of industry giants like Scheurich and Carstens.

Dorothea Roth is believed to have been responsible for the company’s designs. Her signature pieces featured brightly colored, high-gloss, cut-out “lozenges” or “petals,” that were outlined with duller, black (or sometimes white), “fat-lava” glazing. This décor was reproduced on a variety of shapes, including the iconic Guitar and Banjo vases. Besides the most common orange, the striking colors used for the lozenges included red, yellow, and rare (highly collectible!) purple examples.

(“Fat lava” refers to a thick, bubbly, textured appearance that resembles volcanic rock or molten lava. Produced by a chemical reaction during high-temperature ceramic firing, the key ingredient used in its creation is silicon carbide powder. As kiln temperatures rise and glazes begin to melt into glass, the silicon carbide decomposes, generating carbon dioxide. The gas gets trapped within the melting, viscous glaze, forming bubbles. As firing continues, the bubbles swell and burst through the surface, creating either little craters or a foamy, textured layer similar to pumice. The term “fat lava” is believed to be a mistranslation from German, where the word meaning “thick”—referring to the glaze’s depth and sculptural quality—was rendered as the punchier “fat.”)

For many years, it was widely believed that Marei Keramik supplied ROTH with “blanks,” undecorated ceramic shapes, a common practice in the West German ceramics industry at the time. However, recent scholarship has at least partially debunked the idea. The implied relationship is now deemed a case of mistaken identity, owing to misattribution by collectors and historians, rather than a commercial partnership.

Very little else is known about ROTH KERAMIK. Despite its small size, the firm produced some of the most sought-after and collectible pottery of the late mid-century period while developing some truly distinctive volcanic and fat-lava glazes. Toward the end of the golden age of Art Pottery, ROTH began producing rather utilitarian tableware. The company was officially dissolved in 2008.

DETAILS

Maker – ROTH KERAMIK

Production Period/Year – 1970s

Designer – DOROTHEA ROTH

Design Period/Year – 1970s

Origin – WEST GERMANY

Styles/Movements – MID-CENTURY MODERN; SPACE AGE

Materials – CERAMIC

Colors – BOTTLE GREEN, DOVE GRAY

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

Dimensions – 4" DIAM. × 4 ½" H