Otto & Gertrud Natzler Vase, ca. 1955
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GUEST:
Well, back in 1957, we bought this in Los Angeles, where they were having an exhibition of Otto and Gertrud Natzler's ceramics.
APPRAISER:
Otto and Gertrud Natzler were two of the premier mid-century potters in America. They fled Nazi Germany, they came over. Gertrud was maybe the best ceramic thrower on the continent, and Otto was a glaze technician, a very Germanic, precise glaze technician. And what they did was, they redefined ceramic design in mid-century America, in mid-century decorative arts. And this form, which is extremely futuristic-- think what was happening in the '50s-- this is really quite beautiful. Very organic. And then on top of it, after Gertrud threw this, Otto made one of his magical glaze formulas and put what is an orange and brown volcanic layered glaze on the surface of the pot. Do you do a lot of cooking?
GUEST:
Well, yes, I do-- I like to cook.
APPRAISER:
Are there smokers in the house?
GUEST:
No.
APPRAISER:
Then it's cooking grease. Because there's a layer of grease over this—and sometimes it's nicotine-- that's really muted the colors. A good cleaning will make this orange really pop off the surface of the vase.
GUEST:
Well, how would I... I can't put it in the dishwasher, right?
APPRAISER:
No, that's a bad idea.
GUEST:
What would I do?
APPRAISER:
I like to use a nylon scouring pad, and that will peel right off the surface. The Natzlers made a lot of bowls. Vases are extremely... Extremely rare. Maybe one out 20 pieces is a vase.
GUEST:
Really?
APPRAISER:
I also want to show you that it's nicely marked, and that is their own marking system. I could find out the exact date of this piece, but since you've said you bought it in '57, that probably means this was made in 1957. If I had this at one of my auctions, I'd put it in at $6,000 to $9,000, would be my auction estimate.
GUEST:
Wait, what did you just say?
APPRAISER:
$6,000 to $9,000.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
Yeah, very special piece, so...
GUEST:
Oh, it is.
APPRAISER:
Glad to see it.
GUEST:
Thank you.
APPRAISER:
Pleasure.
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