Royal Doulton `Reynard Fox`coffee set.....foxy or not read all about it

So i have decided to take a break from West German ceramics for a few days as not all the readers are avid fans so i thought why not something foxy for those who love a laugh or two.
Found this amazing coffee set in near perfect condition and the whiteness of the porcelain is just wonderful and rather striking for the age.(18 pieces in all...12 coffee cups and sauces)
On each piece is the face or body of a fox which is raised from the porcelain making it very pronounced and real to life.Some face this way and others that and their eyes look as if they have a `foxy `twinkle.The handles are shaped in that of a riding crop with the rope trailing around the bases of the article.So where is it from...England and of the factory Royal Doulton with their usaul high standard of production. No further information of a designer...someone out there may know more than what i have been able to find...but something tells me that whoever the designer may have been...he had a great sense of humour and was intrigured by fairytails as each fox is so wickedly depicted.....SLY fox perhaps.
The pattern is called Reynard the Fox and this is where i discovered a whole new meaning to the fox................
Reynard the Fox was the ledgendary 12thc activist who exposed the strange and incongruous doings of the wealthy and powerful....(Henry Reynard...speaks out)
then after some fun on wikipedia we have the following...where this character appears
From Friedrich Netzsche...brilliant man who died from mental illness-...well we all know his work
to a Dutch/nazi film...recently re found and re constructed
Author Micheal Moorcock...The city in the autum stars
Science fiction/fantasy writer ...Andre Norton.....and then covered in music as well
Igor Stravinsky...yeah him as well....and then in English folk songs and english band Angelica...album 7 year itch....to musicals the famous The road to Oz where Dorothy encounters Renard the king of foxes..
having a bit of a twisted sense of humour i searched further and found that the world is full of foxy things and the one that bent me backwards with laughter was the new tram line in Seattle...namely the ...South Lake Union Trolley.....S.L.U.T and the locals were asked what they really needed ..their reply being housing but as all those stupid men and woman in power...why we ever put them there,decided the best thing for the residents of Seattle would be a Tram....known today by the locals.....Question: hey what are u doing?...hmm i am waiting for the S.L.U.T...(foxy whatever)...and here i give the link to read the whole story and its all true..........Seattle
As to the coffee set be assured i will be asking a ...`foxy...`price for this amazing set as i am sure it will whip up a whole lot of interest.The perfect gift...as christmas is around the corner for some foxy lady to give to a foxy gent in Jura or Zurich (inwohners) as so often we have seen foxes in the suburbs of Zurich and there are plenty of red foxes in the Jura.

THE JASBA FACTORY.

This factory was started by Jacob Schwaderlapp in the early 20thc which was a high producer with a large range of moulded patterns.The main designer being Cilli Wörsdöfer.(mark hill) and then Christiane Reuter came along and stayed with the concern for many years.
Perhaps this is the one factory that had produced the bizzarre vases and jugs with pre historic animal motifs and a plethora of articles that would induce a client to buy as their colors were bight and the shapes having well formed necks and rims.
The base clay is white and more often than not that name is raised in an oval with numbers.
Mostly i have examples with a range of paper labels....one wonders whether people ever used these items.One will also notice that they produced some complex shapes ranging from floor vases/jugs to the usual sizes and here the majority in muted colors.
The very bright colors of Jasba really stand on their own as well as the textures used.Most of the articles are well finished right down to the neat and clean foot of the articles...as yet to find a shabby piece.
As so many factories had different markings so did Jasba and to find all these marks described i would suggest that purchase a bookalogue by Mark Hill...not a train smash when it comes to price but certainly informative.....see links on right.
Then there is the forum that one can visit and they are really very friedly and generous with the help given.Also ask when the new book will be out...a big publication i believe.......see link on right forum.
I had a stunning piece,in my opinion, in the shop window last wekk and some clown ,either drunk or drugged out, wrote on the window,where the vase stood...GROSS!!
And then we hear...what is the difference between a fat lava vase and taste....lipstick...hmmm one wonders if from now on the lousy sticky gooie stuff will take the world by storm.So back to the pigs....ooops fat lava vases.
Here are a few examples.....

Please also vist the..............Shop Jasba..............

and if u wish to visit the newly opened ...GOLDEN FROG...Fashionable Antiques...201 Birmensdorfstrasse Kreis 3 Zurich....079 304 6892 for Swedish furniture and collectibles(1950/70s) as well as a large range of English antiques and collectibles.

Dümler &Breiden

This factory joined the boom during the 1950s with their new shapes and designs by the two brothers Peter & Albert Breiden.They were big in production late 19thc and into the early 20thc but the range that we are discussing is that of the mid 20thc.
Like Ceramano there is a shortage of good examples from Dümler & Breiden as they were not market leaders at the time.
Designers included Ernst Dümler ,Paul Zimmerling and later rudolf Christmann.
The factory marks are rather distinctive having name and numbers impressed in the base ,clay which was always white.Various paper labels were used ..see photo example.The two crossed `swords`with the D B added to the base of the swords and with the numbers used by the factory.
Studio pieces are to be found but then they are rather like hens teeth....here is an example with the wording Studio.....................................................................................................................................In the last three years i have only found two of these so perhaps they exported them to the Americas or elsewhere.In the 60s the company introduced a copper glaze that when held in the light shows up like glitter and certainly gives movement to the articles.............The fat lava vases also have a gritty sand like lava and these appear mostly on jugs that i have found.
Here i must say that a lot of D&B articles were not always impressed with the crossed swords mark but then again if u visit the forum here u will be able to ask for advice about your special find.....
Dümler & Breiden also produced large table lamps and here again its the glaze that will tell u D&B as in gereral these are not marked...if fact the ones i have found are all without markings.
On the one hand we say the piece is too small to put a marking on and then we find these huge pieces with plenty of space,...and yell still no markings!
The standard of D&B was very high and with a lot of subdued colors and simple patterns...not so desireable by the reto collectors...but then again there was demand as a lot can be found whilst the studio pieces remain elusive.
The links to the right hand page will inform you further all u need to do ...is a click away!
The shop also has some stock for u to browse.
Then a small reminder that the new Golden Frog `fashionable antiques`store has opened its doors at 201 Birmensdorfstrasse Kreis 3 Zurich.....079 304 6892 and is well worth a visit for furniture light fittings and collectibles 1950/70s as well as a wide choice of English collectibles-here one can always strike a bargain.
See u there.

Once again on the road to discovering the West German Ceramics of the 1960/70`s that took the world by storm as each factory had produced many thousands of items in crazy colors drips Fat Lava and the more conservative colors and shapes.
The only publication out at the moment is one by Mark Hill where most of the research has been done and its mainly thanks to him and Dr.Cooley that we have information on these bizzare wares.

OHere is a link to his book...FAT LAVA...................................................... which most dealers have and this is where as todays date most information is shared.Ofcourse having over two thousand pieces i am able to distinguish quite well which factories produced certain models and also the clay base and numbering system allocated to such.
As i have so many articles with their original labels it certainly helps identifying sometimes the most difficult design objects.Another source you may wish to visit is the Forum on Fat Lava which is run by Kevin and over the months i have enjoyed his knowledge and have in turn shown many of my personal pieces with labels on this forum. Here is a link....Fat Lava Forum
CERAMANO
the next factory to be discussed and shown is that of Ceramano which was founded in 1959 by Jacob Schwaderlapp.This factory set about delveloping new styles designs and techniques to compete with all the other factories who were doing a roaring trade at this time.
Designers at the time were Hans Welling and Gerda Heuckeroth.
The base clay for this factory was a brown/red clay with all its details scratched into the clay as well as that of the design/ers at a later stage they also had a printed/stamped blue mark defining the factory.(tablewares)
Therefore this is a great factory easily identified where the article base was large enough to take all the details and here i may add that i have found very few small pieces they seemed to be more large studio pieces that command a space.
By far this was a stylish company who produced great pieces and if i may say the pieces are extremely hard to find especially those of strong design.Wall tiles were also produced and are thin on the ground having an impressed mark with the wording Mettlach ...made in West Germany.
Here we show two examples....

.
Once you go browsing through the net you will notice very little stock available from this company and yet i cannot believe that they were small producers.Perhaps as Ceramano made fabulous stuff the known dealers are holding onto their collections as a big trump card!
So little research has been put to press thus far so i would suggest when you find these pieces hold onto them until such time that a more advanced book is available.There has been talk that catologues have been found which will give a good indication of designers and this is the stuff that collectors want...the known designer pieces and that does not mean the rest is of little value.It depends how one puts a collection together and its helps explaning the different techniques used and how the designs changed shape over the years...so that all makes a good history of the company concered.
Certainly once the bug has bitten then you will find yourself on the perpetual hunt for more and more as each pieces tells a different story.
Wishing all a good find and next we will visit Dümler & Dreiden factory.
Once again thank you to Mark Hill and the Forum

Do visit the shop.......Fat Lava.....Shopping..

So here we are now looking at the various factories that manufactured Fat Lava ceramics from the West German side as there were also a number of factories from East Germany but those we will discuss at a later date.
A list of the factories are...in alphabetical order
Bay......Started in 1933 and closed in the late nineties.Founder Eduard Bay.The styles and designs varied and spanned to over 100 different shapes not to mention all the sizes which were decorated in splendid colors to the more muted(conservative).One great designer of the time,Bodo Mans ,produced the Ravenna range.The clay for this factory is white and this can be seen from the base of the object and not all the pieces show this as the piece would have its bottom glazed all over so it will be that these items are recognized by the moulded name Bay with the wording West Germany or perhaps the wording W.Germany and some numbers that reveal the shape according to the factory and also the size.Here is an example...
The production of Bay pieces are of a high standard and well finished down to under the base.there are a number of different paper labels that were attached to the finished product that spanned the years of production.Great to find pieces with the original label as this helps date the piece if you have limited knowledge to the factory details.
Looking across the spectrum of production the Bay factory surely did extend themselves in producing new shapes and designs as after three years of collecting i still find some of the most unusual and bizzare pieces.Seldom have i found a poor example from Bay so to say that a high standard was maintained is true.One will also find labels attached that related to the distributer and not to be confused with the manufacturer.
So where does one find the revelant information on such ceramics and their designers...here is a link to a book by Mark Hill.....Mark Hill Publishing
another book will be published in the near future by another author who has hundreds of great examples and has catalogues from these factories here is a link to a wonderful forum where one can glean inside information,for those who are really interested....
introduce yourself to Kevin as he is ever so helpful and obliging and he also have a wonderful team behind him.Kevin Fat Lava Forum....Fat Lava Forum
Carstens
This factory started up just after the 11 world war and worked in Tonnieshof lower Saxony.
Possibly the most exciting producer as designer Trude Cartens ,wife of the founder,designed some of the lost wax vases and jugs.Wonderful colors and shapes are to be found and they are certainly not plentiful so a definte to have.Another wonderful designer was Gerda Heuckeroth who produced the „ATELIER“ range in the mid 60`s.This label is rather distinctful as its attached in a maze design black and white and sometimes with a string attached also the markings on the base are moulded with two houses with pitched roofs then the `TC`monogram appears below.Once again raised numbers relating to shape and size with the W-Germany.Several labels are to be found still attached from paper to foil and the Atelier range label.ATELIER RANGE...
Shown here is a range called Luxus of which i have ,very little information available but as i said previously ...ask Kev.
The base clay is always a red looking terrecotta and examples are well constructed and designed.
In my humble opinion Cartens seemed to be in a world of their own as their designs are so distinctive and just so different from others,as they all copied/compared each others wares.
If I had to choose a favorite producer it would be impossible as they all designed wonderful pieces that stand out on their own and i have set about looking for the better designed shapes,after a lot of trial and error buying,having them standing together they certainly compliment each other.
Buying
Firstly if you consider buying pieces they must be in perfect condition with no chips or cracks.Some fine examples with light scratches are still collectible as most items have been knocked about over the years remembering that these were very functional items used daily.
Decide on the colors and shapes that tickle your fancy or simple go for the designer pieces and these will cost!..to be continued.......visit the shop.....Fat Lava...Fat Lava shop

Entry added.....5 SEPTEMBER 2009...
My entire collection is up FOR SALE....over 1500 pieces and will consider a very fair price to both public and dealers alike.
If interested please contact me at noje27@bluewin.ch





Here we are again and i am about to reveal what i think is the collectible of the future at todays low prices.One can snap these up with a good eye and simply pack them away for the future.
No need to loose money on a gamble on the stock exchange where one lands up waiting another 5 years before one is back with ones original investment.
I suggest looking at West German Ceramics from the 60/70s...namely Fat Lava.There are a good numbers of factories that produced these wares in many styles sizes and colors.Mostly vases and dishes are to found with a few odd items.The colors and designs stretch the imagination and yes some will say gross! The same was said of Clarice Cliff (which we looked at in the last blog)and look where these prices are today and the market is certainly not flooded with her goods most sitting in museums and wealthy collections.
Various factories produced wares which were moulded and then hand decorated so already when you have bought a Fat Lava piece it is unique in that there are no two pieces exact as they are hand decorated.The colors range from the flambouyant to the muted browns and the sizes are so varied from tinies to massive floor vases...i actually hate that term floor vase..who puts a vase on the floor but seeming they did.these are great pieces for interior decorators and as assembled pairs which make a strong statement.
That these were made of various clays that were light in weight they have tended to damage easily this makes it all that more exciting as the examples become more difficult to find in great or perfect condition.The shapes are also important and some are way out but then again there are those of us who are more conservative and these two being well served in this market.
Then there are the studio pieces......... that are hard to find and when they come onto the market they realize good prices.When one goes onto e bay there is plenty to be found but then who wants to buy something that most donot know what it truly is as the descriptions are at best laughable and this is due to the fact that this is rather a new field for most with only one book been written covering the subject and to no great deph(although a must have to start) but then again there are forums where dealers have been sharing valuable information.A good idea to join one and see the extent of the market which is huge.The market stretches from Europe to Australia USA and Canada.The forum has been a big advantage as we have shared the pieces found with their original labels and therefore been able to identify which factory produced the piece.Getting to know the shapes and the colorways with the different markings helps one determine which factory one is dealing with.It is only possible to know when you have handled hundreds of pieces to be sure which factory it comes from as most only bear the wording west germany and some numbers.To start off i would suggest you get to a knowledgeable dealer who will help and guide you to forming an exciting collection.
I do believe that there is a more comprehensive book at the press and will shortly be on the market.
Further more there are pieces attributed to variors designers and these are the more popular items at the moment but there again these are at a premium price.So where do i start and what do i look for.?
How about starting with a collection of jugs with handles in one size.......they made similar designs in many different sizes and then mix the colors.These look stunning when they are displayed and will give u great pleasure in putting a number of them on your shelf.Then perhaps go a size down until you land up on the tinies section....and these are very difficult to find and rather rare!
Vases by far outstrip anything that was produced so if you are vase or flower crazy then you will have a field day and lots of fun searching.Planters are also out there but most seem to be damaged as do most of the large vases well i can imagine if they were placed on the floor the modern vacuum cleaners would have to be blamed and also the dogs or cats having their bit of fun.
So to the Factories...Scheurich...Bay..Dumler Breiden...Roth..Carstens....Ruscha..Uberlacker and a few more to study.
The Fat Lava is that thick encrustation either dripping up or down and mostly in a black decoration but there are other colors to tempt the pallette.Condition is all important and when it comes to choosing be sure you know your subject or find a helpful friendly dealer.....may i raise my hand here.Its also great to look at these purchases as a collection being very decorative but also something that will grow in value as most have been tossed away as yesterdays junk.Remember they are all hand decorated when it comes to the Fat Lava aspect.There are a lot of very decorative mould blown pieces so here you will find matched pairs with no hand decoration and are they valuable ? The market will decide but right now the market is looking for strong colors and good shapes.
At the moment i am busy putting the next collectible.....will share the secret in three months as i have a lot of researching and collecting to do...its exciting and also a part of the market that has been largely ignored due to little information available.Quite a different medium and with designers galore. Visit our shop.......Fat Lava
Next blog will deal with the Factories who produced Fat Lava.