Ceramics and Pottery Arts and Resources

 

 

Bitossi ceramic bull sculpture

 

 

Phenomenon of Mid Century design

 

The development of Mid Century design was the result of a convergence of numerous artistic influences that began at the turn of the 2oth century. The shifting visual narrative included Brancusi’s brilliant streamlined sculptures, Alexander Archipenko’s constructivist forms and abstract sculptures from Henri Laurens, Jacques Lipchitz, and Osip Zadkine. All of these influential artists, who were working from Paris at this time, fed the evolving perception of how artistic forms could be presented and how realism could be re-interpreted. Picasso’s work with Braque on omni perspective cubist abstractions also contributed greatly to this perceptual re-adaption. Add to this the original surrealist works from Max Ernst, Paul Klee and Jean Arp and the refined designs of Bauhaus and Le Corbusier and you had a creative landscape that presented a plethora of possibilities. This heady mix of adventurist artistic styles paved the way and forced the hand of designers to be more daring. The ornate opulence of neo-classicism, rococo and other remnants of the renaissance was replaced with a re-modelled, simplified artistic reality that conveniently blended with the development of the industrial processes that allowed the evolution of mass production that was essential for the post war consumerism.

 

Marcello Fantoni

Shapiro Auctions

 

Isamu Noguchi, Ray Eames, Gio Ponti, Guido Gambone and Carlo Mollino were some of the prominent designers that emerged from this era. Their designs featured clean lines that utilized the new production materials and were well conceived and highly innovative. The postwar gloom was lightened up with products featuring bold shapes and vivid colours to match the optimistic spirit of recovery and reconstruction. The modern look had a natural symbiosis with the contemporary architecture and decors that emerged in the 50’s and 60’s. Originally, the accepted design concept was for artistic products to be accessible to more people and to cater for smaller dwellings and to be lightweight and mobile, which translated well for the mobility of the emerging modern workforce. These timeless styles still look relevant today and is why the trend has endured. Many current contemporary designs can be associated with the innovations and aesthetics of this era. The inspiring bold designs of the Mid Century are a continual source of fascination and it’s easy to appreciate their desirability with collectors.

 

 

 

Brutalist ‘Argente’ wardrobe, 1968 – Paul Evans

Welded, painted, sculpted and polished aluminium, slate, painted wood, welded and patinated steel.

 

 

 

Italian vintage ceramic set – red sail yacht motif

 

 

 

Mid Century Portofino Abstract Fisherman Vase Signed Santi, Italy

 

 

Mid century large vase with handle

 

 

 

Sakuhin A, Ceramic Vintage Sculpture vessel by Takiguchi Kazen

 

 

 

Porcelain Factory AS Ćmielów

 

 

 

Bertil Vallien Glass Bowl with Sand Blasted Decoration

Swedish, 1938

 

Patchwork copper sculpture – Paul Evans

c,60’s

 

 

 

 

Vintage 60’s vase

Harveys on Beverly -12.5 inches height

 

 

 

Mid Century design

 

 

Sputnik space age U Keramik vase

1950’s

 

 

 

 Vintage Italian Titano San Marino Vase Pitcher

10 inch height – 60-70’s

 

 

 

 

Bitossi for Raymor Bull’s Eye Vase

 

Elspeth Cohen hand Painted Ceramic Vase for Lapid

c1960

 

 

Anna Maria Consadori Arte Antiquariato Design Vicchi vase

 

 

 

Ceramic crow produced by the Ćmielów Porcelain Tableware Factory, 1961, collections of the National Museum in Warsaw

 

 

 

Bertil Vallien (Swedish), Kosta Boda, Janus sand blast glass sculpture

 

 

Bitossi vase, ‘Rocchetto’ line by Ettore Sottsass

1956-59

 

 

Birthe Weggerby

 

 

Lars Bergsten? – Mid Century Wall Plaque

 

 

 

Mid Century Italian San Marino plate

 

 

Bowl, designed by Stig Lindberg for Gustavsberg

 

 

 

Bozo puppet marionet Fish

 

 

Carstens Tönnieshof waisted vase

 

 

Roger Capron

 

 

 

Retro-futurist Bug Chair By Isak

 

 

 

Carstens West German Pottery vase

 

 

 

Chalvignac Wall Panel

1960’s Canada

 

 

Coffee service ‘Prometheus’– (mold design Danuta Duszniak, 1959)

 

 

 

Crimson Plateau chair  by Engelbrechts, designed by Erik Magnussen

2016

 

 

Two Danish Vases by Zeuthen Keramik

 

 

Ceramic black cat produced by the Ćmielów Porcelain Tableware Factory

1958

 

 

 Porcelain bird figurine – Fabryka Porcelany AS Ćmielów

 

 

Easy chair PK-20 designed by Poul Kjaerholm

 

 

Edvin Öhrström Ariel Nude Figure Glass Vase

circa 1958

 

 

 

Edwin and Mary Scheier

Large footed vessel incised and relief decorated with figures in blue, copper, and brown glazed and textured surfaces

13.5 inches height ca. 1972, Skinner

 

 

Ettore Sottsass ceramic vessels

 

 

 

Carstens luxus range handled vase  reptile design by Dieter Peter

 ca 1970

 

 

 

Exercice de Style – Han Meilin

 

 

Brutalist mid century bronze sculpture

 

 

Italian Mid Century pitcher – Fratelli Fanciullacci

 

 

Fratelli Fanciullacci

 

 

Gilbert Valentin

 

 

Lidded jar – Fratelli Fanciullacci

 

 

 Ahr Keramik Venedig Venice 50s art pottery vase WGP mid-century ceramic

Designclassics

 

 

 

 

Alexandre Kostanda, Vallauris

 

 

 

 

Guido Gambone–bottle

 

 

 

Tall, slender ceramic bottle – Guido Gambone

 

 

 

Guido Gambone

 

 

 

Gunnar Nylund, Rörstrand

 

 

Small ceramic planters collection

 

 

Italian mid-century ceramic bottle

 

 

 

Georges Jouve red glaze bottle

 

 

 

Georges Jouve. France

 

 

 

ES Keramik 70’s West German lava glaze vessel

 

 

 

Krösselbach ovoid vase

 

 

 

‘Lady with Flowers’ – André Minaux

1970

Analagous

 

 

Large Ceramic Lamp ‘Sirène’  by French Ceramist Dalo

 

 

 

Vintage Italian vase

 

 

 

Michel Anasse bronze abstract insect sculpture

 

 

 

Marcello Fantoni wall plaque

 

 

 

‘The Warriors’ ( Os Guerreiros ), known as Os Candangos by Bruno Giorgi

1959 – Square of the Three Powers, Brasilia

 

 

Pablo Picasso vase – Madoura

1953

 

 

 

Scheurich-18 Lora Fat Lava Vase West German Pottery

Vintage 60-70’s

 

 

Scandinavian contemporary  ‘Peel’ chair and ottoman from Varier Furniture

 

 

Penguins – Porcelany AS Ćmielów

 

 

 

Philippe Laberterie

 

 

Pierre Vandel, 1970

 

 

Marcello Fantoni

 

 

Pol Chambost

 

 

 

Rusch vintage mottled texture plate

 

 

Poul Volther orange segmented seat and back take their inspiration from the phases of a solar eclipse.

Produced by Erik Jorgenen in Denmark

 

 

 

Sascha Brastoff Abstract Series tri  legged bowl,

1950’s

 

 

Swedish Mid Century Pottery Plaque by Mari Simmulson for Upsala-Ekeby

 

 

 

Mid-century modern ceramic vase – design Ferdinand Langenbacher

 

 

 

Stig Lindberg -Swedish Stoneware horse

 

 

 

Schiavon – Italian vintage sculpture

 

 

 

Stig Lindberg

 

 

Thierry Martenon

 

 

 

Mid century Accolay vase

 

 

Vintage AK (Alfred Klein) Ceramic Vase

Germany

 

 

 

Vintage Bitossi Italian Carved pottery Vase

 

 

 

Vintage Ikebana planters

 

 

Mid Century Danish Modern Abstract Bronze Bird Sculpture

 

 

Vintage Studio Fischer biomorphic vase

 

 

 

Carstens Tönnieshof Fat Lava Vase

 

 

 

 

Heinz Siery—1965

 

 

 

 

 

 

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