Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 139, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Vase

4th quarter 19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Max Läuger (1864-1952) studied painting and interior design at Karlsruhe, Germany; he then taught at the art school while also working at potteries in Kandern between 1880 and 1890; he studied in Paris 1892-3 and there he began making lead-glazed slipware. Always ambitious and energetic, returning to Kandern he worked at a local pottery and then established his own pottery in 1895 while becoming a Professor at Karlsruhe university in 1898. As the opening date approached of the international exhibition, Paris, 1900, and his own ceramic production was becoming commercially established he made a large number of wares celebrating the exhibition specifically to sell during its run. He exhibited his ceramics at many German exhibitions as well as Paris 1900 and at St Louis in 1904

He was co-founder of the Deutscher Werkbund in 1907 and was also a painter, sculptor, architect and designer, and teacher at the Baden state art school. From 1916 he had a studio at the Karlsruhe Majolika-Manufaktur, working there until it was destroyed by bombs in 1944.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Earthenware with slip decoration in relief, covered with stained glazes
Brief description
Vase of red earthenware, with slip decoration in relief, covered with stained glazes, and with four slanting loop handles in black, made by Professor Max Läuger, Germany, late 19th century.
Physical description
Vase of red earthenware, with slip decoration in relief, covered with stained glazes, and with four slanting loop handles in black, each springing from the neck and spreading out into three branches on the lower part of the red body.
Dimensions
  • Height: 20.6cm
  • Diameter: 15.6cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'M L K' [in monogram] with the arms of the Grand Duchy of Baden within a square [impressed]
  • '159' and 'V' [incised]
Object history
Purchased from Liberty's
Summary
Max Läuger (1864-1952) studied painting and interior design at Karlsruhe, Germany; he then taught at the art school while also working at potteries in Kandern between 1880 and 1890; he studied in Paris 1892-3 and there he began making lead-glazed slipware. Always ambitious and energetic, returning to Kandern he worked at a local pottery and then established his own pottery in 1895 while becoming a Professor at Karlsruhe university in 1898. As the opening date approached of the international exhibition, Paris, 1900, and his own ceramic production was becoming commercially established he made a large number of wares celebrating the exhibition specifically to sell during its run. He exhibited his ceramics at many German exhibitions as well as Paris 1900 and at St Louis in 1904

He was co-founder of the Deutscher Werkbund in 1907 and was also a painter, sculptor, architect and designer, and teacher at the Baden state art school. From 1916 he had a studio at the Karlsruhe Majolika-Manufaktur, working there until it was destroyed by bombs in 1944.
Bibliographic reference
Liberty's, 1875-1975: an exhibition to mark the firm's centenary July-October 1975, London, V&A, 1975
Collection
Accession number
1958-1900

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Record createdOctober 8, 2008
Record URL
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