Auction alert: Modern Living sale

Scheurich Fat Lava West German ceramic vase with red glaze - 517-38

The Mallams Modern Living sale takes place on Wednesday 17th Aug 2022 from 10am at their Oxford premises. Up for sale is a good selection of quality, European mid century modern and later art, furniture and homewares. We’ve selected a few to showcase in this week’s Auction Alert.

The Buyer’s premium is 30% (inc. of VAT) of the hammer price. Bidding online via the Mallams website doesn’t incur any further charges. However, if you bid and win items via the-saleroom.com costs an extra 4.95% plus VAT of the final selling price.

Mallams do not have in house packing or shipping facilities but can suggest companies to assist with this.

Maurice Burke for Arkana Pair of 'Tulip' white stools or tables

Lot 48: Maurice Burke (20th Century) for Arkana
Pair of ‘Tulip’ white stools or tables, stamped ‘Arkana’ to metal disc on the base, 45cm x 51.5cm (2). Overall wear, scuffs and scratches. Consistent with age and use. Otherwise ok.
Estimate: £100 – £200

Light elm Ercol coffee table

Lot 50: Light elm rectangular coffee table, with Ercol circular label to the underside
104cm x 36cm x 47cm. Overall with signs of wear and use. Some watermarks and staining to the top.
Estimate: £100 – £200

Pair of lamino lounge chairs

Lot 67: Pair of lamino lounge chairs
Teak, with patterned upholstery, designed in 1956, stamped to the underside ‘Swedese, Yngve Ekström, Made in Sweden’, 100cm high overall (2). One chair has a split and repair. Is now very sturdy. Overall signs of wear and some scratches. Upholstery is not original. Very comfortable. Otherwise seems ok.
Estimate: £500 – £800

Vico Magistretti for Cassina 'Veranda' black leather reclining armchair

Lot 77: Vico Magistretti (1920-2006) for Cassina ‘Veranda’ black leather reclining armchair, with fold out footrest
108cm high with the back extended, 94cm wide overall x 63cm deep without the footrest. Note: The matching sofa and a matching armchair is also available as separate lots in this sale. Overall wear, some scratches and scuffs as expected. Consistent with age and use. Some indentations to the leather. The folding mechanism is very stiff, but does open and close as seen in photographs. Some indentations to the leather.
Estimate: £150 – £300

Alessandro Albrizzi glass and chrome coffee table with purple coloured glass

Lot 86: Alessandro Albrizzi (1934-1994) glass and chrome coffee table, with purple coloured glass
Top measures 152cm x 76cm, the base measures 143cm x 61cm. The glass is not fixed to the base, it just sits on top. Overall wear and some scratches, consistent with age and use. Some small chips to the edges/corners in places.
Estimate: £300 – £500

Merrow Associates Ltd glass topped table and four chairs

Lot 87: Merrow Associates Ltd glass topped table and four chairs
Estimate: £300 – £500
The smoked glass top measures 117cm across, 71.5cm high overall, the chairs measure 74cm high approx overall (5). Overall wear, scratches and scuffs as expected, consistent with age and use. Small chips to the glass table top in places.

David Shrigley Fruit and Vegetable series

Lot 233: David Shrigley (b.1968) Fruit and Vegetable series
‘If you don’t like tomatoes’, ‘The moment has arrived’, ‘They were too long’, ‘You win this mushroom’, ‘When life gives you a lemon’, offset lithographs, unframed, 80cm x 60cm (5)
Estimate: £400 – £600

David Sharp at Rye Pottery slipware charger

Lot 299: David Sharp at Rye Pottery slipware charger
Decorated with a tree, incised signature to the reverse ‘David Sharp Pottery, Rye, E. Sussex, England’, 29cm across. Overall seems ok with minimal glaze faults.
Estimate: £50 – £80

Lisa Larsonfor Gustavberg 'Thalia' ceramic vase

Lot 336: Lisa Larson (b.1931) for Gustavberg (sic) ‘Thalia’ ceramic vase
With impressed mark and label to the base, 25.5cm high. With damage and repair to the rim. Overall wear and some minor firing flaws as expected.
Estimate: £40 – £60

Kitty Kahane for Rosenthal collection of ceramics

Lot 342: Kitty Kahane (b.1960) for Rosenthal collection of ceramics
Comprising of: a teapot, 22cm high overall, pot with cover, 14cm high, large bowl 30cm across x 13cm high and a smaller bowl 20cm across x 9cm high overall (4). Overall ok with minimal signs of wear and use.
Estimate: £50 – £100

Scheurich Fat Lava West German ceramic vase with red glaze - 517-38

Lot 343: Scheurich Fat Lava (West Germany) ceramic vase with red glaze
Estimate: £50 – £100
Marked ‘517-38 W. Germany’ to the base, 38cm high. Crazing to the glaze, minor display marks and wear, otherwise seems ok.

Geoffrey Baxter for Whitefriars vases

Lot 384: Geoffrey Baxter (1922-1995) for Whitefriars
‘Pineapple’ tangerine glass vase, pattern no 9731, unmarked, 18cm high, ‘Totem’ pewter glass vase, pattern no 9671, unmarked, 27cm high and a ‘Random strapping’ tangerine glass vase, pattern no 9797, unmarked, 18.5cm high (3)
Estimate: £100 – £200

Designer Desire: Peter Guggenbühler

Selection of Peter Guggenbühler ceramic designs for Altenstadt

Sometimes, it’s when you’re researching something completely unrelated that a titbit of information comes your way!

That was the case when I discovered that it was Peter Guggenbühler (1928-2007) who was responsible for the series of porcelain decanters for Altenkunstadt that we sold in the past (shown at the top of our montage above).

As well as the decanters, he designed the Das Variabile range of stylised animal figures. They each have detachable stained wood and ceramic eyes and each was given a name:

  • AJAX & BEJAX
  • Lion – “Zottl”
  • Alligator – “Fafnir”
  • Rabbit – “Guggi”
  • Owl – “Huhu”
  • Snail – Schlurf”
  • Frog – “Herr Q”
  • Cat – “Killer”
  • Hippo – “Hippo”
  • Crow – Krah”

In addition he has created vases, wall plaques and small-scale sculptures.

In 2014, there was a posthumous exhibition of his work at Landesmuseum in Karlsruhe, Germany. It was entitled “Vom Umgang mit Porzellan, Elefanten und anderen Kreaturen – der Keramiker Peter Guggenbühler” which roughly translates as “The handling of porcelain, elephants and other creatures – the ceramist Peter Guggenbühler”. Here’s how the marketing material described it:

In its spring exhibition, the Staufen Ceramics Museum commemorates Peter Guggenbühler (1928-2008), who, after initial successes in Saarbrücken, returned to his hometown of Karlsruhe in 1961 and was one of the most respected representatives of his field in Baden-Württemberg in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Of course he didn’t behave like the proverbial elephant in a china shop, he loved the material too much for that. But he has thoroughly confused the expectations associated with porcelain. Instead of pleasing figures, he has all sorts of bizarre creatures that are clearly descended from elephants, crocodiles, rats and various horned and antlered animals, but which clearly show human traits and behaviour.
In addition to small sculptures, Guggenbühler created reliefs and tiles in which he opened up other venues for human comedy, such as theatres and pulpits. An artist with exuberant imagination who is worth rediscovering!

Check Etsy for items occasionally popping up for sale.

Designer Desire: Dieter Peter

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by H is for Home (@hisforhome)


Last week on this series, we featured Gerda Heuckeroth who spent time working for West German pottery manufacturer, Carstens Tönnieshof. Today, we highlight another of the company’s designers, Dieter Peter. He’s the man responsible for the trio of plaques we currently have for sale – pictured above.

Dieter Peter also produced beautiful and tactile vase and lamp base designs for Carstens’ Luxus range. His lines included ‘Moon Crater’ (below, top left), ‘Reptile’ (below, 2nd row, left & right) and ‘Beehive’ (below, 3rd row, left & right).

Find available examples of his work on 1st Dibs, eBay, Etsy and Pamano.

Selection of vintage West German fat lava vases designed by Dieter Peter for Carstens Tönnieshof | H is for Home

Additional image credits:

Afterglow Retro | Perfect Retro |

Designer Desire: Gerda Heuckeroth

Selection of ceramic designs by Gerda Heuckeroth | H is for Home

Although much is known about the various West German pottery manufacturers such as Dümler & Breiden, Roth Keramik and Sheurich not many of the individual makers are familiar names. Gerda Heuckeroth was one of the few named designers.

She created wonderful designs for Ruscha (1959), Urania Ceramano (1962-64) and Carstens Tönnieshof (1964). I absolutely adore her square and rectangular plaques decorated with raised circles. I’ve included examples of them at the top & bottom of the montage. At least three different colourways were produced.

Gerda Heuckeroth eventually branched out on her own, setting up a studio in Berlin. Examples of her work are often available to buy at auction and on eBay and Etsy.

Image credits:

1st Dibs | Pamano