Fritz van Daalen Studio Ceramic Vase · Rimmed Form · 1960s · Aalen

Studio ceramic vase from the workshop of Fritz van Daalen, made in Aalen in the 1960s. 16.5 cm high, 14.5 cm wide, and 14 cm deep, with a characteristic wide-flared rim at the shoulder and an asymmetrically compressed mouth – both traces of the freehand forming that distinguishes this workshop from industrial serial ceramics.

The glaze holds the true appeal of the piece. Olive-brown, ocher, and black-manganese runs lie on a grey-silvery base tone, distributing themselves downwards from the shoulder in cloud-like streaks – a typical result of a reducing firing atmosphere in a chamber kiln, as was common in German studio ceramic workshops of the 1960s and 70s. The surface is matte-silky, grainy in the lighter zones, smoother in the dark runs. On the inside of the rim, parallel finger grooves show the craftsmanship; a separately applied dark brown-black interior glaze catches the light in the mouth area.

The impressed workshop stamp is visible on the inside of the rim – an oval VD ligature with the addition "W. Germany". This stamp clearly attributes the piece to the Fritz van Daalen workshop, which was founded in Schwäbisch Gmünd in 1938 and continued in Aalen from 1950/51, where production continued until 1973. The combination of typical West German export marking and studio character dates the piece to the 1960s, the workshop's most productive phase.

The vase is equally effective as a solitaire on a console or in a sideboard arrangement – compact enough for any display cabinet, sculptural enough to function as a sculpture. The condition is very good, without cracks, glaze chips, or restorations. An old handwritten inventory label with the number "487" is still on the base – a dealer's note that can be removed if desired or kept as a trace of provenance.