Fat Lava Ceramic Vase from Scheurich, Germany, 1970s

German glazed ceramic vase West German production by Scherbirg Keramics dating from the 1970s with Lora pattern Textured black and white decoration on the bottom and ocher glaze on drips.
The glaze of the jar was obtained by first placing one color, proceeding to fix it by firing in the oven, then the same process was carried out for the other colors; Very difficult to achieve is the speckled color, beautiful is the dripping effect of the vibrant red tone.

The mark on the bottom tells us that the object was created in a limited series, the jug bears the number 517, and 30 is the model number; It was manufactured in Germany between 1968 and 1971 by the Scheurich company
Founded in 1928 by visionary Alois Scheurich, this German company took the art world by storm. Specializing in decorative and functional ceramic vases and jugs, they have gained a cult following among collectors and enthusiasts. Their objects are true masterpieces, displaying impeccable craftsmanship, unique designs and revolutionary enamelling techniques. Each model they create tells its own captivating story, with distinctive features and fascinating motifs.
"Fat lava" is the name given to a certain style of West German artistic ceramics popularized in the post-war period and characterized by an extravagant number of typical shapes, glazes, textures and colors that range from dark brown to orange, from forest green to cobalt blue, from ruby ​​red to canary yellow
The production strategy of the artisans of this style involved rather simple and strict shapes that, in combination with all the decorations and glazes of different colors, resulted in a very wide range of pieces.

After the defeat of Nazi Germany, it took a few years to rebuild the German pottery industry. During its heyday from the 1950s until the 1970s, over 100 pottery and porcelain companies and studio potters were actively producing art pottery in West Germany. Scheurich, Carstens, Bay, ES, and Dümler & Breiden were the most prolific producers, and while production began slowing in the early 1970s, a wide variety of art pottery was produced well in the 1980s.

West German Art Pottery is well known for its great variety of forms and expressive colors. The pottery began getting attention in the mid 1990s,
In 2006 Graham Cooley organised the exhibition "Fat Lava: West German Ceramics of the 60s & 70s" at the King’s Lynn Arts Centre from his vast collection. This exhibition popularized the phrase "fat lava" but was not the origin as some believe. The term was in use by eBay sellers years before and may have originated as a mistranslation by computer programs.