Eva Stæhr-Nielsen 112 Vase

A tapered vase with blue glaze designed by Eva Stæhr-Nielsen for Saxbo, Denmark, circa 1950.

The strong, simple form of this tall model number 112 vase is pure & modern, yet also ancient. With its rounded heel, tapering body, and subtle in-turning mouth, it has similarities to an upturned alabastron from ancient Greece. The vase features a richly pigmented & subtly nuanced navy-blue glaze.

‘Strength and simplicity of form and the latter’s complete harmony with the glaze’ are the particular characteristics that define ‘classic Saxbo’, according to Jennifer Hawkins Opie. On the ‘restraint’ in Saxbo, Opie also writes that it ‘often appears as a disarming unpretentiousness belying the very powerful disciple and solid tradition behind the pots’. [1]

Eva Stæhr-Nielsen was employed at Nathalie Krebs’ studio, Saxbo, in 1932 after graduating from Copenhagen’s School of Arts & Crafts.

From very soon after joining Krebs, Stæhr-Nielsen, designed most of the forms for Saxbo, often working in series. From 1932 until 1951 she was the workshop's only designer. Stæhr-Nielsen’s work was instrumental in the construction of Saxbo’s identity /defining the classic Saxbo style. And, with Krebs, the independent ceramic workshop became one of Europe’s most prominent in the production of utility wares with high artistic quality.

The enduring popularity of Saxbo pottery shows that the achievements of Krebs & Stæhr-Nielsen’s 36 yearlong partnership (from 1932 until Saxbo’s closure in 1968) continue to speak for themselves. However, it must be said explicitly that their work was also majorly significant in the prosperous development of studio pottery in Denmark.

Following Saxbo’s closure, in 1970 Stæhr-Nielsen progressed to Royal Copenhagen, where she became a leading designer in the stoneware department. Stæhr-Nielsen remained at Royal Copenhagen until her death in 1976.

Today, Stæhr-Nielsen’s work features in the permanent collections of museums worldwide. These include Designmuseum Denmark, the V&A, Sweden’s Nationalmuseum, Norway’s Nasjonalmuseet, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Seattle Art Museum.

[1] Opie, Jennifer Hawkins, 'Scandinavia Ceramics and Glass in the Twentieth Century', London 1989. p.30