Raku-fired spherical vase, copper luster, signed, studio pottery 1970s

Hand-thrown spherical vase from the Raku firing, made by a studio ceramist in the 1970s. The reduced design language — a perfectly thrown sphere with a small, raised opening, 16 cm in diameter and 11 cm in height — follows the Japanese-inspired aesthetic of Western post-war studio ceramics, which focused on Raku firing as an expression of restraint and chance. The surface shows the full spectrum that only this technique can create: warm, coppery glistening zones where the metal salt formed a luster when pulled from the 1000-degree hot kiln and subsequently reduced in sawdust, interspersed with deep black smoke areas where the unglazed clay absorbed the carbon from the smoking fire, and silvery-gray areas where the reduction partially occurred. No centimeter of the surface is like the other — precisely therein lies its charm.

The signature of the potter is incised on the bottom — a jagged monogram that clearly identifies the vase as a unique studio ceramic piece. No company stamp, no series assignment, but the personal mark of a person who worked at the potter's wheel and carried out the firing themselves. The white base circle comes from the firing — there, the vase stood on the firing plate and was not exposed to the smoking fire. Very good vintage condition: no chips, no cracks, glaze intact. The spherical vase is suitable as a pure sculptural object for a sideboard, console, or bookshelf, as well as an Ikebana vase for a single branch or a minimalist flower composition.