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Margarete Heymann-Löbenstein Haël-Werkstätten Art Deco Ceramic Footed Bowl 1930s
€490Bid from €420
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Private sellerBerlin, GermanyOn Whoppah since August 2023 • 25 sales
Product description
Margarete Heymann-Löbenstein for Haël-Werkstätten Art Deco Ceramic Footed Bowl, Germany, 1930s
An exceptionally rare and historically important footed ceramic bowl designed by Margarete Heymann-Löbenstein for the celebrated Haël-Werkstätten during the early 1930s — one of the most innovative periods of German modernist decorative arts.
Executed in matte-glazed earthenware with delicate hand-painted decoration in turquoise, black, lilac-pink, and soft violet tones, the composition balances playful abstraction with remarkable formal discipline. Floating linear motifs, stylized botanical elements, and rhythmic geometric curves unfold across the shallow bowl like a visual score, revealing the unmistakable language of early German avant-garde ceramics between Bauhaus, Art Deco, and Expressionist modernism.
Raised elegantly on three small sculptural feet, the form possesses an almost architectural lightness. The elevated silhouette transforms the object from simple utilitarian vessel into a highly sculptural centerpiece — precisely the type of hybrid object for which Haël became internationally renowned.
Margarete Heymann-Löbenstein (1899–1990) is now widely recognized as one of the most important female ceramic designers of the 20th century and a pioneering figure of European modernism. After studies in Berlin and a formative period at the Bauhaus in Weimar under Gerhard Marcks, she founded the Haël-Werkstätten in Marwitz together with her husband Gustav Löbenstein in 1923.
Under her artistic direction, Haël rapidly evolved into one of the most progressive ceramic workshops of the Weimar Republic. Unlike many contemporaries who pursued strict industrial reduction, Heymann-Löbenstein developed a highly personal visual language: modern yet lyrical, geometric yet animated, balancing rational form with painterly spontaneity.
Her work stood at the forefront of interwar German design and was internationally exhibited already during the 1920s. Today, original Haël ceramics are highly sought after by collectors of Bauhaus and Art Deco design due both to their aesthetic innovation and their tragic historical context. As a Jewish entrepreneur and artist, Margarete Heymann-Löbenstein was ultimately forced out of her company under National Socialism before emigrating to England.
Works by Heymann-Löbenstein are held today in major museum collections worldwide, including the Bauhaus-Archiv Berlin, Bröhan Museum Berlin, Victoria & Albert Museum London, Jewish Museum Berlin, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In recent years, her work has undergone major scholarly reevaluation, firmly restoring her place among the central protagonists of German modernist design.
The present bowl is particularly compelling for its refined asymmetrical composition and unusual color palette. The softly airbrushed turquoise rings, black linear contours, and vivid lilac accents anticipate later mid-century abstraction while remaining deeply rooted in the experimental spirit of the 1920s–30s avant-garde. Even the exterior decoration continues rhythmically around the body, demonstrating the total-design philosophy characteristic of Haël production.
Dimensions:
Diameter: 21.5 cm
Height: 6.5 cm
Condition:
Good vintage condition consistent with age and use. One small chip to the rim/brink, documented in photographs. Minor age-related wear and kiln irregularities typical for handmade Haël ceramics of the period. No cracks or repairs observed.
General Information
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Specifications
ConditionGoodColorsMulti Color, CremeMaterialCeramicNumber of items1Height6 cmWidth21 cmDepth21 cmSigns of usageChipped
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About this seller
Private sellerBerlin, GermanyOn Whoppah since August 2023 • 25 sales