Few days ago I was in the new Amsterdam public library  -an amazing building- looking for a book that they didn’t have; instead I found something else.

At the fourth floor, I have been suddenly surrounded by a multitude of Mid-Century West-German vases!

I spent a bit before understanding that it actually was an exhibition: ‘VazenMania!’.

The exhibition putted the spot on the West-German manufacturers from the 1945 to the 1990.

I don’t know you, but one of my biggest addiction about the Mid-Century are vases…and lamps. So you can probably imagine how thrilled, and lucky, I felt to be in the middle of this vases paradise 😉

A particular type of West German vases are also called by the collectors, ‘Fat Lava‘ because of their kind of lava pattern; you can see some of them in the photo gallery.

What I really like about West German vases are the colorful decorations they have, sometimes glossy, and the original design. They almost never have a boring common vase shape.

The exhibition showed a large variety  of vases…some decorations are peculiar of specific manufacturer as I also wrote in my previous post How to Recognize the Original Mid-Century German Potteries: Scheurich about one of the most famous company: Scheurich.

For the real lovers of the West German potteries, the book ‘Fat Lava: West German Ceramics of the 1960s and 70s‘  describes the era and works of the biggest West German manufactures like Bay, Dümler & Breiden, ES Keramik, Jasba, Jopeko, Otto Keramik, Roth, Ruscha and  Scheurich.

Is quite rare to find a book on this specific topic; a must have for the Fat Lava lovers.

If you want more info about the West German potteries check also West German Ceramics « The H is for Home Harbinger.

Unfortunately the exhibition ended but if you want to know more about the Mid-Century German vases and Mid-Century in general, keep following Mid Century Home for free trough the RSS by the Mail List or Twitter!

I am planning to come back again on this interesting topic

Specially following Mid Century Home by Mail, you will only receive Mid-Century Modern inspiration for your home!!

Ciao!