Keramis Boch - Ernest d'Hossche - Vase (2) - Danube - Creamware - Danube Pitchers

This superb pair of cylindrical fine earthenware jugs is an exceptionally rare collector's item, originating from the prestigious Studio d'Art La Louve, the elite artistic workshop of the famous Belgian manufacture Boch Frères Keramis in La Louvière. Designed in the early 1960s by the sculptor and creative director Ernest D'Hossche, this series features the famous and highly sought-after modernist pattern named Danube, a bold graphic line that breaks away from traditional standards to fully embrace post-war design. These pieces instantly captivate the eye with their sleek, elongated silhouette, countered by a highly graphic, sharp square handle adorned with a regular dotted border. The body of each pitcher is entirely hand-painted with a rich succession of horizontal bands alternating twisted waves, stylized foliage friezes, and concentric blue lines. Turning the pieces over provides full authenticity for collectors, as the bases reveal the official factory stamp in relief from the Studio d'Art La Louve showing the Roman she-wolf emblem, alongside the historical factory crest showing the rampant wolf emblem impressed in relief within the glazed pottery. Displaying a combined weight of 1250 grams for one, each vessel stands at a slender height of 31 centimeters with a neck-and-handle diameter of around 16 centimeters, resting on a stable 11.5-centimeter base. The complete set is in excellent overall condition, with the glazed earthenware body completely free of any chips, scratches, or cracks anywhere on the ceramic. For full transparency, there is a charming variation in the enamel intensity from the studio brushwork, as one jug showcases deep, strong cobalt blue contrasts while its companion displays a subtly lighter and softer azure palette over its speckled powder blue background, offering a beautiful witness to the manual craftsmanship of this mythical Walloon workshop that definitively closed its doors in 1969. A decorative pair with a powerful graphic presence, perfect for setting a characterful table or joining a selective mid-century Belgian art collection.