This tall bottle form vase was hand-thrown by Gertrud Natzler, with the minimalist form of the vessel accented by the gently dripping shades of silvery gray and blue shades of Otto Natzler’s Mariposa Reduction Fired Glaze.
Jewish artists Gertrud and Otto Natzler began their pioneering experiments in ceramics in the mid-1930s shortly after meeting in Vienna, seeking to transform the medium from craft to fine art. In March of 1938, the same day that the couple learned they had won a medal at the World Exposition in Paris that same year, their home country was invaded by the Nazis.
The couple fled to California within a few months, where they set up a new studio and quickly began to earn acclaim for innovations in both form and surface.
Getrud threw impressive thin-walled vessels by hand, while Otto experimented with glazes resulting in unusual textural effects which enhanced Getrud’s minimalist forms. The Natzlers and Otto in particular kept meticulous records of their work. This piece comes from the Natzler archives and retains its archival label on the underside.
Provenance:
Collection of Gertrud and Otto Natzler
Height: 11 ¾ inches (30 cm)
Diameter: 4 inches (10 cm)