Tilgmans Keramik Decorative Bowls

Extraordinary modernist item by Swedish Tilgmans Keramik. Fully glazed centerpiece or wall decoration depicting a green faced woman with long stemmed yellow and blue flowers on a striped dark blue background created with the sgraffito technique. Manufactured in 1957 by German/Swedish Paul Harald Tilgman in his workshop in a small town close to Gothenburg in Sweden. Blue patterned glaze on the sides and muted blue leaves on the milky white glazed base. Signed and dated on base. A rare and unique piece in beautiful condition! Sweden, 1957. About Tilgmans Keramik: Paul Harald “Harry” Tilgmann was born in Dresden, Germany in 1904 and emigrated to Sweden during WWII where he started Tilgmans Keramik (= Ceramics) in 1948 in the small town of Utbynäs close to Gothenburg. Tilgman had 16 employees working for him and when he hired the Polish refugee Marian Zawadzki (1912-1978) as artistic director in 1953, Tilgman Keramik started experimenting with the distinct sgraffito technique. The sgraffito technique consists of carving fine lines into the background of a design through a light coloured glaze down to a dark grey clay slip. This created a unique textured ground which has become a style associated with Tilgmans Keramik in particular. The decorative elements also appear to be outlined with a carved line and then hand painted with overglazes where birds, fish, flowers, butterflies and other animals were a common theme. This type of work was the most popular in Mid Century Sweden alongside Tilgmans small animal figurines...