The ceramics workshop Silberdistel—named after the silver thistle found in the Swiss and Austrian Alps—was founded by Johann and Grete Breu, in 1947. The workshop was located in Gevelsberg, in the West of Germany, north of Cologne. Although well-timed for growth just before the big West German ceramics boom of the 1950’s through 1970’s, Silberdistel always remained a small manufacturer. For this reason, Silberdistel pieces are a bit harder to find than the works of some other makers. The ceramicists always used white clay and did not often brand-mark their pieces—except for a paper sticker applied to the side of each piece, a sticker very often peeled-off by original purchasers.
The piece above was made by Silberdistel in the 1960’s or 1970’s and it still retains the original paper label (as well as the little felt pads) affixed by the workshop at the time it was created.
More from our recently-acquired collection tomorrow.