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Art Pottery (American and European art pottery other than mid century items)

Pottery and Porcelain (Figurines, plates, vases, etc.)

West German Pottery (Mid Century pottery, currently featuring one of the best selections of studio and W. German pottery in the U.S.)

Studio Pottery (While many of these items can be found in other categories, they are also gathered here for those with a special interest in studio work.)

Glass (art glass, stemware, EAPG, Depression, Elegant, etc.)     

Metalware (Various metal items and misc. vases, inkwells, etc.)      

Paintings (oils, watercolors, prints, 19th and 20th century American and European)

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Meet the Gin and the For

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The Cor-purr-ate Story (Glyph's Rise to Power)

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Essays and Information:

Book Review: Fat Lava, West German Ceramics of the 1960s & 70s

Collecting West German Pottery: Thoughts, Philosophy, and History

A Divine and Delightful Madness: An Intro to W. German Pottery

Learning the Basics about West German Pottery (This is the most in depth essay.)

West German Pottery Marks

W. German Companies, Designers, and Studio Potters

West German Picture Gallery and Identification Aid (pictures of items we've had over the last 3 years)

To Buy or Not To
Buy:  Going Where Price Guides End (thoughts about collecting, aesthetics, and health)

Get the Picture Straight: The Basics of Selling Glass and Pottery on the Internet (how to write item listings, matters of photography, etc.)

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Ginfor's Odditiques (click to
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Pedagogy, Philosophy and Nonsense (my "other" site: writing, learning, and odd ideas like long hair and fairy god-princesses)

GinFor's Odditiques (GINny and FORrest Poston's Oddities and Antiques)

There is now a Fat Lava Collector's Club. For information, contact   marias@rom.on.ca

My copy of Fat Lava: West German Ceramics of the 1960s & 70s by Mark Hill was waiting in the mailbox today, and I'm utterly delighted. For the first time, there's a book on this subject printed in English, and it's a good one, at least a very good start. If there is ever a definitive work on W. German pottery, it will have to be about 10 volumes, large volumes, but the text and pictures here show why this art deserves attention from researchers and collectors.

The book is technically the exhibition catalog for the "Fat Lava" exhibition in London (July-August, 2006), and the title establishes some of the scope. While earlier forms are mentioned, the focus is on the more colorful, more textured items made mostly after 1965. That automatically excludes some exceptional work, but that's a necessary exclusion to avoid confusion in such a broad field. The book is paperback with 147 pages.

The book comes with a separate value guide, and that takes a bit of nerve in this market because there's so little to go on. Great pieces can still be found (by those willing to be patient) for $5 in thrift shops or boot sales. On the other hand, more upscale antique shops and galleries are also stocking W. German items now. Trying to go by aesthetics and what we know so far about availability of shapes and glazes, I think the prices run about 20-30% low at the moment, more on some of the larger or more uncommon items.

When collectors start to compete for W. German items, I think many of the better pieces will go to two or three times the current estimates. More common items will eventually drop back, but the best will keep rising. I would say the book covers more of the mid-range with a few lesser pieces and a few better pieces included. (Since the price guide is separate, it can also be updated at any time.)

The text includes a forward by Dr. Graham Cooley, whose collection was used for the exhibition, and an introduction by Mark Hill. Those who have read my essays will still find plenty of new information here and in the capsules about each company. You'll also find signs of frustration from the lack of information available, especially because of companies who have done such a poor job of tracking their own history. (Identifying researchers in W. German pottery is easy. Just look for the flat spot on the forehead from where we keep beating our head against any available wall.)

Thirteen companies get their own chapter with four additional companies in Other Makers. I'll admit being a bit disappointed to see Steuler, a personal favorite, listed only in the "others" category, but that just shows how much more work remains for all of us. Each chapter opens with thumbnail pictures of some of the labels, marks, and typical glazes from that company. That's followed by a brief history of the company, designers, glazes, clay colors and keys to identification.

For most companies, there are 4-8 vases pictured. Scheurich gets a more extensive listing in keeping with their status as the largest producer. Counting the Forward and Introduction, there are about 116 vases pictured, all in color. Each picture includes a caption with useful information. Even with that many images, the overlap with everything pictured on our site is minimal, which again shows how varied this field is.

I was happy to confirm some attributions I'd been unsure of and identify some items that had me completely confused. There are one or two attributions Mark and I will have to talk about, but that is part of the game in a new field.

Even if there were already other works in English, this book would be well worth buying, and I strongly recommend that anyone interested in W. German pottery get a copy as soon as their personal finances allow. If you like my site, then you most certainly should get the book. (And I'm not making any money on this recommendation.)

You can find information about the book at:
Mark Hill Publishing
or contact Mark at:
books@markhillpublishing.com

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Thanks to one and all.

Forrest (the "for" part of ginfor)

If you feel like the essays, information, and pictures were worthwhile, and you would like to support this part of the site, feel free to make a small donation through Paypal. It helps the cats feel like they will continue to be treated in the manner to which they have grown accustomed.