Zenith, Gouda - Willem Stuurman - Ewer - Sepia decor in mandarin orange and chocolate brown • well marked • ca. 1932–1940 - Earthenware

Spherical jug by Zenith Gouda in the Sepia decor: chocolate brown with ivory-colored bands and mandarin-orange runners. The edges of the decor taper into fine specks, as if spray-glazed. A tall, open handle and a flaring spout give the jug a sculptural silhouette. On a sideboard or windowsill the mandarin catches every beam of light.

For this object a Buy It Now price has also been set, for those who want to acquire it immediately without waiting.

Description:

A bulbous jug on a small stand. To the right the spout fans out to a sharp point, to the left is the tall, open handle. The wall has a soft, undulating relief. Across the chocolate brown run ivory-colored bands with a mandarin-orange loop. On the base the decoration name, factory and place are handwritten, next to a painter's monogram; model number 579 is in relief. A Sepia jug of model 471 fetched EUR 354, including premium, at Botterweg in 2018.

About the maker:

Zenith began as the pipe factory of P.J. van der Want in Gouda, adopted the name Zenith in 1915, and later produced decorative ceramics. From 1924 the factory worked in Gouda with matte glaze. Willem Stuurman (1908-1995), a pupil of Bert Nienhuis, was artistic director from 1931 to 1934 and designed more than three hundred models and décors there. The Sepia decor is his design. Zenith closed in 1984.

In interior design:

Suitable for Art Deco, vintage and eclectic interiors, on a sideboard, shelf or mantel. The mandarin adds a warm accent to dark furniture.

Condition:

Good, used condition. Spout, handle and body: no chips, hairline cracks or restorations observed. Unglazed foot rim: a few dark specks in the glaze. The undulating relief and the flaring decor edges are production-specific. See the photos. Offered as a decorative object, not intended for use with food.

At a glance:

Material: earthenware with glazed decoration

Dimensions and weight: h 15 x w 19 x d 12 cm, 822 g

Mark: handwritten 'Sepia Zenith Gouda' with painter's monogram, model number 579 in relief

Dating: circa 1932–1940

Provenance: from a private Art Deco collection

Attribution and sources:

Marked Zenith Gouda with the decor name Sepia: factory and décor are fixed. The design is by Willem Stuurman, as Botterweg Auctions Amsterdam catalogs the Sepia pieces from Zenith, with reference to The Gouda Pottery Book, Part II, page 585.

Shipping:

Professionally packed in a sturdy box with cushioning material, for fragile objects a double box. Always insured with Track and Trace. See the feedback from previous buyers.

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