A rare, bottle-form bud vase with a narrow, tapered neck and a selenium-red glaze by Rogier Vandeweghe for AMPHORA of Belgium.

AMPHORA was established under the name Atelier Rogier Vandeweghe in 1955 in Sint-Andries, a suburb of Bruges, by Vandeweghe and his wife, to produce ceramics and stained glass. Starting modestly with two employees, namely a glazier and a handyman, the studio grew into a company with a staff of about 20. It was rechristened AMPHORA in 1960. Ceramic production consisted entirely of hand-thrown vessels. AMPHORA's modern forms, experimental firing techniques, and extremely subtle glazes—all developed in-house—rapidly earned it an international reputation.

Participation in major contemporary exhibitions led to numerous awards: second prize at the Concorso Internazionale della Ceramica in Monza, Italy, in 1960; a prize at the Internationale Handwerkmesse in Munich in 1963; and the 'Medaglia d'Oro della Presidenza del Senato' at the Concorso Internazionale della Ceramica d'Arte in Faenza in 1964. Such honors led to acquisitions by leading ceramics museums across Europe. In 1975 operations ceased, and the studio faded into obscurity before being rediscovered by collectors.

DETAILS

Designer – ROGIER VANDEWEGHE

Design Period/Year – 1960s

Maker – AMPHORA

Production Period/Year – 1960s

Origin – BELGIUM

Styles/Movements – MID-CENTURY MODERN; MINIMALISM

Materials – CERAMIC

Colors – RED

Condition – Excellent vintage condition.

Dimensions – 2 ½" DIAM. × 6 ¼" H