Rudi Stahl studio pottery bottle vase, signed and dated February 1978

Hand-thrown studio ceramic bottle vase by Rudi Stahl (1918–1987), one of the most important German post-war studio ceramicists from Höhr-Grenzhausen in the Westerwald region. The form follows a classic bottle silhouette with a tall cylindrical body, a short conical shoulder transition, and a widely flared, flat plate rim — a form that Rudi Stahl repeatedly varied during his most productive years. The fine grooves from the throwing process are still clearly visible on the freely turned body; the glaze runs in a beige-ochre sand tone over the upper two-thirds and transitions into a deep aubergine-black field with a finely iridescent metallic shimmer on the lower third. The upper inner plate is covered with the same dark feldspar glaze, so that the eye and fingertips repeatedly encounter this calm, matte-glossy element at the opening.

The underside bears a three-line incised signature, which clearly establishes the collector's value of this unique piece — "Feb 78" for February 1978, "Handarbeit" (handmade) and the full artist's name "Rudi Stahl". The exact dating is an exceptional feature, as Rudi Stahl marked most of his vases with a model number instead of a date; a dated unique piece is therefore a significantly rarer collector's item than the series vases usually signed only with a catalog number. Very good vintage condition with no chips or scratches.