AU Edit | Ruscha Keramik

Ruscha Keramik – West German Art Pottery

The most appealing ceramics have one thing in common: each object starts as an experiment in clay at the hands of a potter.  This was true of Ruscha Keramik, an integral part of the West German Art Pottery movement, which strove to create new shapes, innovative glazes and vibrant colours, all without the use of moulds.

No pottery ever quite reached Ruscha’s standards when it came to quality and craftsmanship.  Pioneering the volcano and dripped glazes helped cement the studio’s reputation and Ruscha still maintains its popularity today.  Whatever the glaze used - crackle, foamy or the classic fat lava - Ruscha jugs, for example, remain sought after due to their highly tactile nature, sculptural aesthetic and solid, robust nature.

Creating many of the most renowned shapes, including the famous 313 first released in 1954, was designer Kurt Tschörner.  However, each Ruscha form was assigned a number, inscribed on the underside and sometimes the ceramics were even signed with “Handgem” short for ‘handgemalt,’ German for handpainted.

Ruscha’s ceramics emanate from a significant period in the history of Europe – that of a new Bundesrepublik Deutschland of the 50s, 60s and 70s - and make a seminal contribution to the history of ceramics and pottery.  To see AU’s carefully sourced collection of vintage Ruscha ceramics and other unique sculptural pieces, click here.