Made across West Germany from the 1950s through to the 1970s, this wonderfully varied pottery is known for its sculptural shapes, experimental glazes and unapologetic use of colour. No two collections ever feel quite the same, which is a big part of the appeal. Some pieces are graphic and architectural, others are gloriously odd, but all bring a bit of that distinctive mid-century German character into a room.
A vintage Scheurich pottery vase with a colourful abstract design that captures the playful, experimental spirit of mid-century West German ceramics.
A striking vintage German Rumtopf jar, decorated with richly coloured cobalt blue fruit motifs against a beautifully textured cream and brown background.
A wonderfully characterful vintage German Rumtopf jar, finished in a rich amber and honey-brown glaze with a distinctive textured surface and raised fruit decoration.
A tall West German ceramic vase with an intricate patterned surface and a rich combination of honey, cream and glossy chocolate brown.
A lovely graphic piece of West German pottery by Jopeko, with an almost reptilian black-and-white crackle glaze covering the entire exterior.
A wonderfully tactile little piece from Jopeko, made in West Germany in the late 1950s. The rounded body is covered in the maker’s distinctive black-and-white shrink glaze, where the thick white surface contracts during firing to reveal the dark ground beneath in an irregular, almost cellular pattern.
A lovely early Scheurich piece with far more of a 1950s modern-art feel than the heavier Fat Lava styles that followed. The body has a heavily textured off-white glaze, decorated with loose black lines, flashes of turquoise and blocks of mustard yellow and deep red.
A cracking little piece of late-1950s West German pottery from Jopeko Keramik — see what I did there?
A big, bold Scheurich Rumtopf in a wonderfully rich red glaze, deepening into almost black around the rim, handles and base.
Made by Jopeko Keramik in West Germany, it has a brilliant, twisted, sculptural shape covered in a thick white shrink glaze, with deep blue peeking through every crack and crevice underneath.
A beautiful vintage Scheurich West German pottery handled vase with a tall cylindrical jug form and bold mid-century styling.
A striking vintage Scheurich West German pottery vase with a bold cylindrical form and classic mid-century fat lava decoration.
A stylish vintage Scheurich West German handled vase with a classic mid-century form and rich earthy glaze
