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Paul Soldner Vases and Vessels

American, 1921-2011

After studying under Peter Voulkos at the Los Angeles County Art Institute, Denver native Paul Soldner (1921–2011) became a pottery professor there in the 1960s, when the revolutionary California Clay Movement took root.

Soldner pioneered American-style raku firing methods, experimental updates of the centuries-old Japanese process, which involve pulling red-hot sculptures out of the kiln to be bathed in smoke or dipped in cold water, resulting in beautifully frazzled glazes.

“These new firing and post-firing reduction methods often led to spontaneous, unpredictable and quite wonderful results,” says Greg Nielson, of Dwell Floor Five, in Studio City, California.

Soldner’s raku vases, for instance, with their charred surfaces, seem to smile humbly through the scars of their past adversity. 

Alongside the likes of Toshiko Takaezu, Soldner innovated chunky, funky ceramics in the mid-century and beyond. He is one Voulkos student at whom enthusiasts should take a serious look, advises dealer Jayson Lawfer.

The owner of The Nevica Project, a gallery with venues in Chicago and Kansas City, Lawfer explains that Soldner “was a master of raku and was credited with bringing the historic Asian technique to the U.S.” He adds that “Soldner used simple techniques of throwing pottery on the wheel, but to make his sculptural forms more interesting, he also pressed burlap into the clay and stepped on it to give it different textures."

Find Paul Soldner pottery for sale on 1stDibs. 

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Creator: Paul Soldner
Paul Soldner Abstract Expressionist Studio Ceramic Vase
Paul Soldner Abstract Expressionist Studio Ceramic Vase

Paul Soldner Abstract Expressionist Studio Ceramic Vase

By Paul Soldner

Located in Phoenix, AZ

Paul Soldner (1921-2010) abstract expressionist pottery vase. Glaze in black and brown, partly unglazed. Excellent design, mint condition. Signed Soldner on the bottom. Measures: 10" H x 8 3/4" W. Paul Soldner (1921-2011) was an American ceramic artist, noted for his experimentation with the 16th...

Category

Mid-20th Century Paul Soldner Vases and Vessels

Materials

Clay

American Raku Pottery Vessel by Paul Soldner
American Raku Pottery Vessel by Paul Soldner

American Raku Pottery Vessel by Paul Soldner

By Paul Soldner

Located in Atlanta, GA

A modern pottery vessel by American potter Paul Soldner (1921-2011) circa 1960s. Paul Soldner is renowned for his dedication to develop and further Raku firing in American pottery fi...

Category

Late 20th Century American Organic Modern Paul Soldner Vases and Vessels

Materials

Pottery

Poul Soldner Raku-Fired Crazed Pedestal Piece
Poul Soldner Raku-Fired Crazed Pedestal Piece

Poul Soldner Raku-Fired Crazed Pedestal Piece

By Paul Soldner

Located in Chicago, IL

Paul Soldner Raku-Fired Crazed Pedestal Piece, Exhibited and published in Paul Soldner "A Retrospective" 1991 Page 97, Pedestal Piece (84-49) 1984, c...

Category

1980s American American Craftsman Vintage Paul Soldner Vases and Vessels

Materials

Ceramic

Paul Soldner California Studio Stoneware Pottery Vase
Paul Soldner California Studio Stoneware Pottery Vase

Paul Soldner California Studio Stoneware Pottery Vase

By Paul Soldner

Located in Palm Springs, CA

A spouted stoneware bottleneck vase with tenmoku glaze created by Paul Soldner of Claremont, California, circa 1960. Vase stands 9 1/8" in height and is signed Soldner on the bottom....

Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paul Soldner Vases and Vessels

Materials

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Poul Soldner Raku-Fired Crazed Pedestal Piece Vessel
Poul Soldner Raku-Fired Crazed Pedestal Piece Vessel

Poul Soldner Raku-Fired Crazed Pedestal Piece Vessel

By Paul Soldner

Located in Chicago, IL

Poul Soldner Raku-Fired Crazed Pedestal Piece Vessel 1983 marked underside 83-28-6283 Sodner attended the Los Angeles County Art Institute, and became Peter Voulkos's first student i...

Category

1980s American Brutalist Vintage Paul Soldner Vases and Vessels

Materials

Ceramic

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Paul Soldner vases and vessels for sale on 1stDibs.

Paul Soldner vases and vessels are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of ceramic and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Paul Soldner vases and vessels, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original vases and vessels by Paul Soldner were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider vases and vessels by Warren MacKenzie, Rose Cabat, and Edwin and Mary Scheier. Prices for Paul Soldner vases and vessels can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $2,900 and can go as high as $3,800, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,950.