1960s SCHEURICH KERAMIK FAT LAVA FLOOR VASE 517/45

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An extra tall floor vase from SCHEURICH KERAMIK wearing a gorgeous, all-over, thick and drippy, yellow and black, Fat Lava glaze. The form is Heinz Siery's design—model Nr. 517/45. Excellent vintage condition with no cracks, flakes, chips, or repairs, and virtually no age-related wear marks apart from the base ring.

HEINZ SIERY (1927-2022) was a true luminary in the world of ceramics in the 1950s and '60s. His forms had significant impact on the product styles of makers Fohr, Scheurich, Carstens, and Ruscha, among others. Siery frequently employed "the golden ratio" (or an approximation thereof) in his designs, lending harmonious proportion to his work. This can be clearly seen in his most iconic form: Scheurich model Nr. 271/22. Presented in 1959, this modernisitc vase proved extremely popular and was still being manufactured in the '70s. Siery had a lifelong interest in industrial organization and was always exploring the development of new methods.

In 1969 Siery and his wife, Ingrid Siery-Illgner, established a jointly operated studio workshop near the historic town of Euskirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia: Atelier Syré—out of which they both freelanced. (Ingrid had earlier designed decorative objects for Carstens and overseen the design department at the Wächtersbach earthenware factory.) In addition to commissioned work, the couple produced creations of their own. Of note are the elegant, figural bronzes, whose simple classical forms and sleek lines evoke the work of Henry Moore and Joannis Avramidis. Atelier Syré is home to a park that features more than 300 of these sculptures.

SCHEURICH had its origins in a joint venture launched in 1928 by Alois Scheurich and his cousin Fridolin Greulich in the small Saxon town of Schneeberg near the Czech border—wholesaling glass and porcelain. The business moved to the market community of Kleinheubach in the northeast corner of Bavaria in 1938, and ten years later the partners began producing low-cost household ceramics of their own, marketing them under the name Scheurich & Greulich. In 1954 Scheurich founded SCHEURICH KG KERAMIK in Kleinheubach to assume production on his own using a newly installed electric tunnel kiln which allowed for continuous firing.

The following year SCHEURICH recruited celebrated designer Heinz Siery. He developed production techniques as well as models and decorations for the company. SCHEURICH's overarching manufacturing strategy was to produce a wide array of simple forms that could be decorated in a great variety of glazes. This resulted in a range of pieces that was both extensive and readily adaptable to changing consumer tastes. Starting with the end of the '60s, SCHEURICH combined populist design with low prices to achieve market hegemony. The approach proved altogether successful, both domestically and abroad, and, through the 1980s, SCHEURICH produced more pottery than any other German manufacturer.

The earliest SCHEURICH pieces sport discrete colors and simple geometric patterns. In the late 1960s and the '70s, its glazes were characterized by relatively drab brown-and-green color schemes, sometimes accented with more vibrant hues. Some décors, however, did feature the bold lava and volcanic finishes that are so admired by collectors today, and many stunning examples of these techniques can be found. Molded décors inspired by ancient cultures or patterns from nature were also represented. By the late '80s, shapes and color scales became plainer and the work less attractive.

You can do much more than you think you can. – HEINZ SIERY

DETAILS

Maker – SCHEURICH KERAMIK

Production Period – 1960s

Designer – HEINZ SIERY (1927-2022)

Design Period – 1960s

Origin – WEST GERMANY

Styles/Movements – MID-CENTURY MODERN; FAT LAVA

Materials – CERAMIC

Colors – YELLOW, BLACK

Condition – Excellent vintage condition.

Dimensions – 8 ½" Diam. × 17 ¾" H

Quantity Available – 0