Posts tagged ‘Marianne Starck’

Dec 7

Michael Andersen Denmark, Marianne Starck Negro Series

Marianne Starck “Negro” Series Overview, Michael Andersen & Sons

Marianne Starck 1931 – 2007 worked at Michael Andersen & Sons, Bornholm as the Artistic Director from 1955 to its closure in 1993. During these decades her output of designs was vast – but isn’t well catalogued. Every year I continue to find designs by her which I haven’t come across previously.

Marianne originally come from Germany where she undertook an apprenticeship at the Thoms pottery in northern Germany, and later studied graphic design in Germany at Landeskunstschule (University of Fine Arts, Hamburg). Her most successful designs at Michael Andersen & Sons often have very strong graphic elements as part of the design – reflecting her training in this field.

One of her most striking and now most coveted and popular series of designs was for the 1950s “Negro” series. This series features white motifs carved through to black clay – the form would have been slip cast first and then finished and carved by hand and you can usually see the carve marks in the black clay.

The motifs in this series vary from abstract forms, to stylised plants, animals and human forms to simple repeat patterns. Usually the glaze is a bright white, but there are also pieces which have a white glaze speckled with oatmeal colour.

There are also some variations on this series which I will show in a future post.

Below are some of the designs I have had, which are just a fraction of the forms from this very large and popular series:

Dec 7

"Negro" Series Plate, Marianne Starck, M.A.S. Denmark

Michael Andersen & Sons Pottery, Denmark

Michael Andersen and Sons Pottery (MAS), Bornholm Denmark.

Michael Andersen & Sons was founded in the 1880s (from an earlier 18th Century Pottery) on the island of Bornholm, Denmark – one of the major centres of Danish pottery production during the 19th and 20th Centuries.

Jens Michael Andersen (1859-1931) who was the founder, had trained at the local Hjorth pottery.

His 4 sons worked in the pottery, and one son, Daniel (1885-1959) developed the iconic “Persia” glaze in 1935, which won an international award. The Persia glaze went on to be used on many designs well into the 1960s.

Persia Glaze Bowl by Marianne Starck, M.A.S. Denmark — Persia Glaze Bowl with design by Marianne Starck, M.A.S. Denmark – The cat designs by Marianne Starck on different forms with a Persia glaze have become very collectable pieces.

Michael Andersen & Sons, Lamp with Persia Glaze – A simple blue pattern on the Persia glaze like this one seems to show it of to best effect – highlighting the lovely mother-of-pearl crackle of the glaze

It is the “Art Pottery” of the 1950s -1970s which MAS are now best known for worldwide…but I also love some of the Art Deco style designs from the 1930s – although these are harder to find in excellent condition now.

Michael Andersen & Sons, Art Deco Era Bowl

Marianne Starck originally from Germany, was one of the top Ceramicists who contributed to the success of Michael Andersen & Sons Pottery in the mid 20th Century.

She started with the Factory as Artistic Director in 1955 and remained until its closure in 1993, designing many iconic series of which the “Negro” series is probably one of the most coveted now.

“Negro” Series Bowl, Marianne Starck, M.A.S. There are a large number of designs in the “Negro” or “Tribal” series – all very striking in design

Marianne’s work is usually inscribed with the initials M.S.

Michael Andersen Denmark, MS signature for Marianne Starck

Since 1930 items from MAS have usually been marked with the three fish stamp in various designs. Sometimes it is a simple label, other times just an impressed mark of 3 herrings.

Michael Andersen & Sons Denmark, 3 Herrings Paper Label

The 3 herring mark is also the official seal of the town of Ronne, where the factory was located.

The M.A.S. pottery was partly resurected by ceramicist Solveig Ussing, and it operates currently from a small workshop in Ronne, where some of the original MAS moulds are still used.

The photographs in this article are of pieces that have passed through my hands, so of course they only represent a fraction of all of the designs made.