Posts tagged ‘Danish Pottery’

Dec 27

Helle Allpass Denmark

Helle Allpass, Denmark, (1932 – 2000).

Work by accomplished potters always stands out from the rest. The flat turned piece pictured below I had for several years before I discovered its maker, went on to find out more about her story, and then discovered the lovely bowl by Helle also pictured below.

Helle Allpass trained as an architect initially, but followed a family tradition of pottery soon after. Her father was Christian Schollert, of Schollert Keramik, and her Grandfather Christian Johansen from Korsør.

Helle started her own studio in 1964 just north of Copenhagen, which became very successful and included her founding of the North Zealand Ceramics association. She lived and worked here for the rest of her life, but sadly suffered from Parkinsons disease from around 1996.

Helle’s is best known for her large, sculptural, architectural and garden pieces – often featuring her signature cobalt blue glaze. She also used a reddish iron rich flecked glaze quite often. You can also find smaller studio wheel-thrown pieces though like the ones pictured here from time to time. Many of the sculptural pieces were made from wheel thrown pieces, combined to make very tall forms.

Her daughter Ane Schollert worked alongside Helle during her last years, and Ane has continuation a family tradition and still works as a potter in Copenhagen. Aneschollert.dk

Dec 5

Soholm Denmark

Soholm Pottery Is a favourite pottery brand amongst 20th Century Pottery collectors and design lovers around the world, in addition to lovers of good design looking for a feature piece in their home. Pieces like the massive floor vases and wall plaques make such an impressive design statement.

The range of pottery produced by Soholm during the 20th Century was immense. It was one of the largest and longest surviving potteries on the island of Bornholm Denmark, from its beginnings in 1835 when founded by Hans Ancher Wolffsen, to its closure in 1996.

A large variety of different ceramic artists worked at Soholm including some who have become very collectable. These are just some of the important Soholm Designers/Ceramicists from the mid 20th Century.

Noomi Backhausen (Jespersen) (b1938 – d 2011).
Paul Brandborg
Rigmor Nielsen
Maria Philippi (Soholm 1962-1964)
Svend Aage Jensen
Gerd Hjort Petersen (also worked at Michael Andersen & Royal Copenhagen)
Einar Johansen (worked at Soholm 1958-1966)
Josef Simon
Per Rehfeldt (the last significant designer at Soholm before its closure )

Most of the pottery from Soholm post c1964 is Stoneware (Stentoj in Danish) which has contributed to its longevity and durability. You will often see the base of a Soholm piece inscribed or stamped with the work Stentoj.

Many of these pieces are also stamped or inscribed with a series number, usually a series of 4 numbers which indicate the shape (or form) and size (e.g. 23cm).

Sometimes you will see a piece with one or two scratched lines on the base. This indicates it was a factory second, and sold at a discount or to employees. Sometimes it is difficult to see what makes it a second – but with Soholm from my experience it is usually something to do with the glaze quality or colour.

For example in the first image below of the spiral vase the glaze should be an even deep blue – but in this case it is marked as a second because the glaze is not the way it was intended – and has too many light areas. In the second image of a factory first piece you can see this blue glaze the way it was meant to be – a deep blue with even colour dispersion and brown highlights on the ridges or where it is thinner.

My favourite series of works are the series below, but once you start collecting Soholm, these are just the tip of the iceberg.