This is a gorgeous Steuler Keramik sgrafitto red clay pitcher/vase from the 1950s. The vase has a classic European mid century shape and design. It has the early Steuler mark on the base which was in use until 1960, when the factory switched from red clay to white. The vase was scored with vertical lines, glazed with a matte white glaze, then dry brushed horizontally with a matte terracotta glaze (allowing the white glaze to show through). The handle was left matte white, while the interior was glazed in a lovely glossy pale pink.
The vase is 10″ (25 cm) high, 4″ (10 cm) from handle to spout, 3.5″ (9 cm) in diameter at the base.
Steuler Keramik was founded in Hoehr-Grenzhausen, Germany in 1908, producing acid-resistant cement and tile for the chemical industry. Steuler took over a stoneware factory in 1918 and in 1931 introduced a new process for the production of ceramic stoneware for everyday use, offered in different colored glazes.
The most famous designers associated with Steuler were Cari Zalloni and Heiner Balzar. The company’s best known decor was the Zyklon series by Zalloni. This was a modernist series in bright, strong colors, finished with a concentric circles reminiscent of a drop of water hitting the surface of a pond. Balzar’s work had a more earthy, organic quality, very similar to studio work. Zalloni left in the 1970’s and the company eventually ceased its decor ceramic manufacturing in 1996.