Pair of Table Lamps · West German Ceramics · Olive Green · 1960s

Pair of West German ceramic table lamps from the late 1960s. Both bases are cuboid-prismatic in shape, 12.5 × 12.5 cm at the base and 20.5 cm high, with softly rounded edges and a recessed shoulder section that transitions into a short, double-beaded neck. The overall height with the new raffia shades is 31 cm.

The glaze is a reactive two-zone glaze in muted olive green — lighter, almost mint green and fine-grained in microtexture on the main surfaces, fading to a dark, almost blackish olive tone on the edges and shoulder. This effect is created by the firing technique and is typical of the reactive kiln techniques widely used in West German ceramic workshops in the 1960s. The two lamps show the typical small glaze variations between pieces — on lamp A, the light mint zone on the shoulder is more pronounced, while on lamp B, the dark color along the edges is more prominent. Both pieces come from the same mold and form a true manufacturing pair.

The shape with a cubic base, curved shoulder recess, and beaded neck belongs to the style circle of major West German manufacturers of this period — Carstens Tönnieshof, Steuler, and Otto Keramik produced comparable models in the late 1960s.

The E14 sockets sit directly on the ceramic neck, the socket ring is patinated with age but functional. The natural beige raffia shades are new — both ensure immediate usability. The condition of the ceramic bases is very good, without cracks, chips, or glaze flaking. The lamps have the strongest effect when placed as a double on a sideboard, on either side of a bed, or as a symmetrical console pair.