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XL Architectural Sculptural Ikebana Form Signed European Studio Ceramic Vessel
€450Bid from €360
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About this seller
Private sellerBerlin, GermanyOn Whoppah since August 2023 • 25 sales
Product description
Architectural Studio Ceramic Vessel / Sculptural Ikebana Form – Signed European Studio Pottery, ca. 1970s–1990s
A remarkable and highly unusual hand-built ceramic vessel balancing somewhere between sculpture, architectural model, and vase. With its elongated horizontal silhouette and integrated rectangular opening, the piece belongs to the late 20th-century tradition of studio ceramics that deliberately moved beyond purely functional pottery into the realm of sculptural object-making.
Executed in a restrained blue-green palette with subtle tonal transitions, the vessel combines strong geometry with an almost landscape-like calm. One side is articulated by a finely incised rhythmic zig-zag pattern, creating a subtle optical vibration across the surface; the opposing side is quieter and more architectural, emphasizing mass, line, and negative space.
The form strongly recalls ikebana-inspired arrangement vessels, where asymmetry, emptiness, and spatial composition are as important as the flowers themselves. At 53 cm in width, the piece has an unusually commanding scale and reads almost like a fragment of modernist architecture or a stylized boat, pod, or lens form.
The object is hand-built, most likely using slab construction techniques. The exposed clay edges around the opening and the asymmetrical structure further support its studio origin rather than industrial manufacture. Inside the reservoir, the piece bears an incised maker’s sign: an abstract monogram or symbol resembling a V-shaped form enclosing an inner arch or U-shape with a small dot above. Despite extensive research, the mark remains unidentified.
Stylistically, the vessel aligns most convincingly with Northern European studio ceramics of the late modernist period — possibly German or Dutch in origin — and can cautiously be dated to the 1970s–1990s. The work shares affinities with the broader movement of postwar architectural and sculptural ceramics, where vessels became autonomous design objects rather than purely decorative wares.
Importantly, this is not standard factory pottery or mass-produced West German ceramics of the usual Scheurich / Jasba type. The absence of industrial coding, mold marks, or production numbers, together with the highly individual construction and mark, point instead toward an independent studio ceramic practice or a small workshop production.
A compelling and intelligent sculptural ceramic object with strong presence and a distinctly architectural sensibility.
Dimensions
Width: 53 cm
Height: 17 cm
Depth: 10 cm
Condition
Very good vintage condition with minor signs of age and handling consistent with studio ceramic work. No major damages observed.
General Information
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International buyers: import duties or taxes, if applicable, are the buyer’s responsibility.
All items are photographed and described with care. Vintage pieces may show minimal traces of age; any significant flaws will be clearly mentioned.
Private sale under law: no returns, refunds, or warranties.
Specifications
ConditionVery goodColorsBlue, Beige, Brown, Multi ColorMaterialCeramicNumber of items1Height17 cmWidth53 cmDepth10 cm
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Seller information
About this seller
Private sellerBerlin, GermanyOn Whoppah since August 2023 • 25 sales