Wilhelm Kåge Unique "Garlic Neck" Bottle Vase

A unique collared bottle-shaped vase in blue glaze, handmade by Wilhelm Kåge for Gustavsberg, Sweden, 1952.

The refined form and decoration of this exceptionally controlled vessel draws inspiration from East Asian ceramics. Namely, ‘garlic-neck’ bottle vases.

The slightly compressed globular body sits atop a short unglazed foot. Raising from the rounded form, the

the bulbous belly transitions into a gently tapering neck that flares outward to a mouth nearly as wide as the foot. Encircling the neck is a finely formed collar, delicately incised to produce a line of tiny crenellations. The same technique is repeated around the circumference of the mouth, giving the piece a subtle architectural rhythm.

Combined with the expertly applied cobalt-blue hare’s-fur glaze, these incisions create an effect reminiscent of the serrated margin of a toothed leaf.

As avid collectors of Nordic ceramics will know, glazes resembling hare’s fur or partridge feathers are produced when iron seeps through the glaze during firing. Although the technique stems from the Song Dynasty (960–1279), it became increasingly popular in Sweden in the early–mid 20th century. This revival was driven in part by the Crown Prince's* enthusiasm for East Asian decorative art.

Like *Gustaf VI Adolf, Wilhelm Kåge held a lifelong curiosity for world cultures and was fortunate to travel widely throughout East Asia, Africa, America, and Europe. Somewhat serendipitously, these journeys were encouraged by circumstance. In Kåge's early years at Gustavsberg, the factory could initially employ him for only 100 days per year.

Of course, the partnership proved successful very quickly, despite Käge (a trained artist and graphic designer) having no prior knowledge of ceramics. Needles to say, employment soon became full-time and permanent. Käge spent his entire career at Gustavsberg, and for most of his 40+ years at the factory he served as Artistic director -although he is remembered as Gustavberg’s ceramic king.