Steuler Design Vase, Black, Silver-Grey & Gold, Postmodern 1980s

This sculptural vase originates from the Steuler manufactory in Höhr-Grenzhausen in the Westerwald, one of the most renowned names in West German ceramics, and bears the golden "Steuler Design" mark with the hexagonal company logo on the base. Under this brand, Steuler released a series of postmodern decorative vases in the 1980s that capture the zeitgeist of the Memphis era with their clear forms, strong contrasts, and metallic decors, and are now sought after on the international collector's market as typical late-phase West German pottery.

The body is reminiscent of a folded leaf: a glossy black glazed wall wraps around the semicircular front like a collar and rolls up at the top into a softly curved, folded-over rim that encloses the teardrop-shaped opening. The front features a silk-matte, silver-gray metallic background, upon which abstract motifs reminiscent of characters or hieroglyphs are distributed in gold, copper, and bronze luster, which light up differently depending on the incidence of light. The neatly finished base is glazed black on the inside and bordered by an unglazed, cream-colored rim.

The compact vase is a graphic individual object for a shelf, sideboard, or windowsill and fits just as well into a collection of West German vintage ceramics as it does into a modern, minimalist interior. It is suitable for a single branch or dried flowers, or as a purely decorative object. It measures 15 cm in height, 10.5 cm in width, and 7.5 cm in depth and is in very good condition.