Rudi Stahl Studio Pottery U F O Vase Nr 7038/12

A squat, earth-tone, studio pottery jug vase with a ringed neck and upright handle by German master potter Rudi Stahl. Shaped like a UFO or an oil lamp, its red clay body is finished in shades of brown and tan and signed on the bottom with the form number and height: 7038/12.

RUDI STAHL (1918–1987) was among the most important German studio potters of the 20th century. He was born in the town of Höhr-Grenzhausen, in southwest Germany, in the Westerwald—long a center for the ceramic industry and home to a professional college for ceramics (hence the nickname ‘Kannenbäckerstadt,’ or “Jug-Baking Town”).

The grandson of an ointment jar potter, Stahl established his studio in Höhr-Grenzhausen in 1938 with financial assistance from his father, Wendelin Stahl, Sr., (1888–1954). Stahl’s productions reinterpreted the local tradition of undecorated stoneware, with some reference to Japanese ceramics. His forms were notably simple and of great integrity and elegance. Nevertheless, a clear relationship to contemporary stylistic tendencies was in evidence. His vessels were all handcrafted in small series. Younger brother Wendelin, Jr., would train with Stahl through 1951, before opening a studio of his own.

Stahl’s work has been exhibited in prestigious art galleries and museums around the world, and he has received numerous awards. The company was taken over in 1979 by his son Norbert Stahl.