Those who know me are aware that Ruscha is one of my favorite Mid-Century production-scale ceramics makers. Typically it is the glazes—often by Otto Gerharz—that excite my senses. But Ruscha was also known for its interesting shapes, too, especially the Modernist classic "313" pitcher by Kurt Tschörner. It was designed in 1954 and proved so popular that the artist was asked (in the 1960's) to "modify" his design, just a bit, as a concession to the realities of mass production. The original design had a more forward-leaning appearance and a sharper inner joint where the handle met the spout. Getting the original pitchers out of their moulds proved difficult and the rate of loss was unacceptably high. The example shown here is the re-designed version. It is still beautifully stylish, and, luckily, continued to be available to the Sixties public, thanks to the accommodation of a practical artist. Please click on the photo above to learn more about it.
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