Before World War II, art pottery mass-production was common in the U.S., England, and Western Europe. As these countries built their middle-classes, pretty consumer goods were needed to satisfy newly-found disposable incomes. When the war began, purchasing these “little luxuries” was put-off for better times down-the-road.
After the war (in 1945), Americans (and their Anglo-European allies) were eager to resume “living the good life.” But something had changed: the victor countries were moving-ahead, away from low-wage, labor-intensive industries (like art pottery production) while the vanquished countries needed simple, labor-intensive industry to put their people back to work.
So an interesting dynamic was observed. After the war, art pottery mass-production moved from countries like the U.S. to countries like Japan and Germany. This “migration of industry” reflects the economic realities which confront countries and their fortunes after winning (or losing) a war. It also determines which countries will be making mass-produced objects for the rest of the world.
Which brings us to the photo above. In December—before and after Christmas—I accumulated a large collection of Post-War, West German art pottery. In this picture, a quartet of red-glazed, ring-necked vases in varying sizes.
Come into the shop to see them and many other newly-acquired items.