Sunday, October 11, 2015

Carstens-Hirschau: Rounding the curve

I HAVE BOUGHT ZEISEL pieces from all over the globe. It is often intriguing to speculate how they got to where they were. I once bought a Schramberg teapot from a lady in Argentina. When you think of the German diaspora before and after World War II, one could just imagine that  little teapot's journey. Schramberg is relatively easier to find than her designs for another German pottery, Carstens-Hirschau, where Eva may have worked for a year between 1931 and 1932 before she decamped for the Soviet Union.


Similarity in form between Schramberg (top, marmalade jar 3417 with attached underplate) and two Carstens butter dishes (below)

Many of Eva's designs at Carstens were a continuation of her experiments at Schramberg. The most intriguing development on this phase is the appearance of the curved handle on the T-series. I believe this is the first instance where Eva employed the curve ergonomically. When you hold the teapot, the thumb rests firmly on the flat handle, the index and middle fingers grasp the top loop, while the ring and pinky fingers are nestled in opposition on the outside curve. The act of pouring tea feels balanced and comfortable. We would see her explore this further in the S-1 series for Dulevo and the early down-turned teacup handles for Castleton.


The creamer and sugar bowl (both marked T-2) and teapot (marked T-3) are part of Eva's T-series for Carstens-Hirschau.


About Eva's work at Carstens

Eva designed 5 (maybe 6) different coffee and tea sets while at Carstens-Hirschau. They are labeled with C, R, S, and T.  Shapes numbered between 140 and 215/218 are acknowledged to be her designs and they include, among others, bowls, butter dishes, smoker's sets, eggcup trays, and vases.

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Schramberg: Deco beginnings and Bauhaus blues

MY PARTNER, BRAD, does not want any Schramberg in the house. It's "too deco" for him.


This asymmetric vase is the only Schramberg piece that is allowed in the house. It stands over 8.25" high. To appreciate its monumental size, here it is with a ball jug (3366) which is reminiscent of designs by Bauhaus alumni, Marianne Brandt
Indeed, most people who associate Eva Zeisel with curves and playful shapes are utterly shocked when they see the work that she produced in Europe prior to coming to the United States before the war. Produced between 1929 and 1931, her pieces for Schramberger Majolika Fabrik (SMF) are art deco to the core, and foreshadow none of the curvelinear forms that she will eventually become famous for.
Ring-handled teapot (3249) and matching creamer (3250)
Some say that during this time, Eva designed with a ruler and a compass and not with her hands. One can see perfectly round teapot bodies and handles, flat trays and underplates, and stepped bases on vases and tea stands.
Stepped tea stand in the sought-after matte green glaze with a traditional Russian granyonyi tea glass.

But as she grew within Schramberg, we can see her start to explore economies in design and manufacturing. Teacup handles become finials for teapots and side handles for sugar bowls. Lids for various pieces become interchangeable.
Jug (3287), teapot (3211) and sugar bowl (3213). Note that the lid on the sugar bowl is actually a transposed teapot lid. Also note that the same shape is used for handles and finials.
She also starts to question established conventions—why not put the handle on the side so that the act of pouring tea consists of merely turning one's wrist? This is a concept that she would continue to explore for many years in her designs for Hall Kitchencraft and Monmouth Western Stoneware.
Side-handled teapots (3356) and creamers (3358). The polka dots may have been designed by Eva, but there are differing opinions on this matter
Although she was definitely aware of, and was influenced by, the teachings of the Bauhaus, Eva would eventually turn away from what she called their "soulless formalism". It is ironic, however, that her entire later work would essentially follow two of the movement's tenets: uniting creativity and manufacturing, and rejuvenating design for everyday life.
An ensemble of Schramberg pieces in the matte green glaze. It is said that the solid matte glazes were the ones that Eva wanted for her designs - but the prevailing taste at that time were for the more decorative airbrush and deco patterns. Hence, these pieces are very hard to find.

About Eva Zeisel's work at Schramberg

SMF produced over 200 of Eva's designs between 1929 and 1931. Most pieces numbered between 3195 and 3472 can be attributed to her. There are more than nine coffee and tea sets along with various other household items, from hanging baskets to cigarette paraphernalia. There is considerable debate on which decorations were designed or influenced by her. It is generally accepted that she advocated the use of the solid matte glazes on her pieces, while many of the airbrushed and hand-painted patterns were designed by other in-house artists.