Posts tagged ‘Mid-Century Modern’

Jan 6

Michael Andersen Denmark, Persia Glaze Bowl, Marianne Starck

Michael Andersen Denmark – Marianne Starck & The Persia Glaze

While the award winning and amazing “Persia” glaze at Michael Andersen & Sons was developed in the 1930s by Daniel Andersen (1885-1959) and used on pieces from that date, I think it is the designs of Marianne Starck at MAS & Sons in the 1950s and 1960s where the Persia glaze is seen at its best.

This complex glaze turns out differently on each piece, depending on the glaze colourants used and style of decoration. Sometimes it appears like a pearlescent multi coloured micro-mosaic, and at other times as a more subtle pattern decoration with grey pearlescent hues. Often the pieces using this glaze have beautiful but subtle oxidisation of the glaze, giving some of the colours a slightly metallic appearance – especially noticeable on the red colour of the Viking longboat in the first image below.

The glaze is also surprisingly smooth and silky to the touch. The Persia glaze was used on all types of forms – from utilitarian pieces to sculptural forms.

Below are some of my favourite pieces using the Persia glaze.

Michael Andersen Denmark, Persia Glaze Bowl, Marianne Starck – Photo Ray Garrod

Detail – Viking Design on Michael Andersen Denmark, Persia Glaze Bowl, Marianne Starck

Michael Andersen Denmark, Persia Glaze Lamp, Marianne Starck, Photo Ray Garrod

Michael Andersen Denmark, Persia Glaze Dish, Marianne Starck

Michael Andersen Denmark, Persia Glaze Bowl, Marianne Starck, Photo Ray Garrod

Michael Andersen Denmark, Persia Glaze Dish, Marianne Starck, Photo Ray Garrod

Michael Andersen Denmark, Persia Glaze Bowl, Marianne Starck – On this piece the Persia glaze effect is much more subtle, because of the large areas of colour in the design. Photo Ray Garrod

Michael Andersen Denmark, Persia Glaze Dish, Marianne Starck, Photo Ray Garrod

Aug 26

Bucka Nissen Denmark, Bregentved

The elegant and stylish pattern on this dinnerware matches the equally elegant and stylish forms it is placed on. It seems to have been a very popular pattern in its time as I have come across it quite often over the years. The soft pastel colours and stylish leaf motifs date it to sometime in the 1950s.

The pattern is called “Bregentved”, and there was also a series of glassware made to match this design made by Lyngby Glassworks Denmark.

The pattern is on dinnerware from a company called Bucka & Nissen (Also spelled Bucha & Nissen) who was a wholesale dealer and distributor of glass and ceramics founded in 1849 in Germany, which opened also in Copenhagen in 1865. From 1865 the two branches of the company then operated as separate companies – the German one closing in 1937 and the Danish one closing in 1968.

It is not clear if the design was printed onto “blanks” from Eschenbach Bavaria, or simply a finished product over-stamped by Bucka & Nissen for sale in Denmark under the Bucka Nissen brand name. Either way it is a very smart and design with classic mid-century elements, on high quality German porcelain.

May 23

Charles Voltz – Vallauris Pottery

Charles Voltz (1923-1997) moved to Vallauris France in 1950, where he had a studio for many years. His ceramics was in the typical exuberant mid-century Vallauris style with colourful and often highly textured or patterned glazes.

Vallauris is an area in the Cote d’Azur region of south eastern France and has a long history of Artistic and Ceramics traditions, but is was in the 1950s when Vallauris experienced a new golden age after Picasso went to live in and influence the Arts & Crafts of Vallauris in the late 1940s (and where he stayed until 1955)

Picasso, along with Roger Capron were significant contributors to the profile of Ceramics in Vallauris, together other names such as Roger Collet, Gilbert Portanier, Jean Derval and Charles Voltz.

The pottery in Vallauris during this period was created mainly for the tourist market, and to a smaller extent collectors.

I have come across the work of Charles Votlz a few times here in Australia, in the form of dinner sets or coffee sets. It is simply made with terracotta clay and a low fired glazes. The pieces I have had have either been gloss orange or a gloss red. This seems to have been typical of the type of ware that tourists would purchase from Voltz studio, captivated by the intensity of colour and Voltz striking modernist style.