Dümler & Breiden, Hamelner Töpferei Delius - Hildegard Delius, Rudolf Christmann - Vase (3) - Bauhaus style - Clay - Sgraffito style

3 German postwar and studio ceramics vases, by Dümler & Breiden and Hamelner Pottery Delius.

Sgraffito style. 1950s-1960s

The Aesthetics of the Breakthrough:
West German Postwar CeramicsIn the decades after World War II, West German craftsmanship experienced a flowering that today is celebrated worldwide as West German Pottery (WGP). The present trio, consisting of a patterned standing vase, a bulbous handle jug, and a globular ribbed vase, exemplifies this era of design-driven breakthrough. They demonstrate the shift from mere utilitarian objects to autonomous room sculptures. A defining feature of this era is the deliberate play with texture and tactility. The tall vase in the background captivates with a geometric interplay: incised lines (sgraffito) divide the body into abstract zones. The contrast between the rough clay and the glass glaze strips gives the object an archaic yet modern presence. The two front vessels employ horizontal rib structures. These refract light, emphasize the organic forms, and create, through the interplay of relief and glaze, a living, tangible depth. Color-wise, the pieces move in a harmonious palette of cream, beige, brown, and muted yellow. These earthy neutrals were typical for the 1950s and early 1960s – before the later, garish “Fat Lava” era. They reflect the then-wish for homeliness and anchoring after the deprivations of the war. In their combination of artisanal mastery and courage for new surfaces, these ceramics are stone-made witnesses of a design that continues to captivate collectors worldwide for their character and individuality.

1. Handle vase, Dümler & Breiden, Studio Ceramics, handmade, 1952-1966
Model number 230/14
Material: clay
Height 14 cm, diameter 11 cm
Glaze: cream-colored, dark brown matte
Decor: incised technique, circumferential rib structure
Condition: Very good vintage condition, small glaze flaw.

Rudolf Christmann (1928-1992) is regarded as the leading chief designer and designer of the modernist forms of Dümler & Breiden ceramics in the 1950s and 1960s. He also designed this popular jug form.

Christmann was one of the most influential German ceramic designers of the postwar period. His collaboration with the renowned Höhr-Grenzhausen manufactory Dümler & Breiden (Höhr-Grenzhausen) from 1952 to 1966 is regarded as a high phase of West German studio and series ceramics (West German Pottery).

Key stations & facts:

Education & apprenticeship: Christmann trained from 1946 to 1950 at the Ceramic School in Höhr, where he later also taught as a lecturer.

Era at Dümler & Breiden (1952–1966): During this time he designed numerous iconic forms and décors. His works are often characterized by elegant relief structures, precise rib patterns, or colorful sgraffito techniques (ritz decors).

Known décors: Notably his designs for the well-known Terra and Terramar series.

Later career: After his time at Dümler & Breiden he moved at the end of the 1960s as artistic director to Carstens Tönnieshof. In 1968 he returned to his homeland Hillscheid and opened his own studio.

2. Sgraffito Vase, Dümler & Breiden, collective studio design of the Höhr-Grenzhausen factory.
Model number 154/20
Material: clay
Height 20 cm, diameter 8-13-7 cm
Glaze: dark brown, outside cream color matte
Decor: sgraffito decor
Accents: yellow, terracotta
Condition: flawless

As with many West German ceramic manufacturers (West German Pottery) of this time, the individual designs were usually marketed under the manufacturer’s name. Nevertheless, the distinctive, organic handle forms and textured sgraffito decors of this era can be attributed to Christmann’s design leadership at the Höhr-Grenzhausen works.

3. Globular ribbed vase in Bauhaus style, Hamelner Pottery Delius.
Hand-turned studio ceramics. Design by Hildegard Delius.
Model number 465
Material: clay dark brown
Height 13.5 cm, diameter 5-11-5 cm
Glaze: silk-matte beige brown
Decor: rib structure
Condition: Very good vintage condition, small flea bite at the delicate vase rim.

The Hamelin Pottery operated from 1922 to 1966 and is one of the most important German workshops for demanding artist and studio ceramics of the 20th century:

The beginnings:
The workshop was founded in 1922 by the renowned ceramist Gertrud Kraut together with Georg Rawitscher.

The Delius era:
In 1933, technical director Klaus Delius took over the business. After his early death, his wife, the artist Hildegard Delius (an influential painter and ceramist), ran the workshop successfully on her own for decades.

Shaping the style:
Hildegard Delius significantly shaped the form language of the pottery from the 1930s. Her works are characterized by harmonious, often bulbous-sweeping rounded forms and fine, textured surface glazes. After her death in 1955, her son Peter Delius took artistic leadership until the workshop closed in the mid-1960s.

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All information to the best of our knowledge.
Please view the attached photos. Any flaws are marked.
Color variations from photo to original are possible.
Use and/or storage marks are not to be excluded due to age.
Uneven glaze and ceramic surfaces are typical for the product type and do not constitute a defect.

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