Jacob Bang "Egg" Vase

A stoneware vase designed by Jacob Bang and produced by Nymølle, Denmark, C.1950.

Jacob Bang was integral to Denmark's success on the world stage of design during the 20th Century, and is considered one of the country's pioneering industrial designers. His career oversaw the flourishing Art Deco style and the emergence of the Scandinavian Modernist aesthetic of which he helped to define.

Bang is best known for his sculptural glassware produced by Holmegaard, but also had a successful career in ceramics, becoming artistic director of Nymølle in 1944 where he held the position for 10 years. 

This studio pottery vase demonstrates Bang's aesthetic leadership at Nymølle; the softly naturalistic form and glaze hints at the period's move towards Organic Modernism.

The vase's form, suggestive of a flower bud or bird's egg, is both simple and refined. The green glaze, with its beautifully soft colour and dappled white speckles, is reminiscent of a forest leaf or the tranquil water of a garden pond. The depth of the varied glaze is enhanced by an incised pattern of vertical lines. Demonstrating the contours of the vase, these lines pool the glaze in an intricate linear fashion. The vase's overall effect is both subtle & complex, and perfectly demonstrates the refined, elegant characteristics of Jacob Bang's artistic vision.