BLUE KNÖDGEN KERAMIK VASE Nr. 1060/20

A West German flower vase with a beautiful silhouette and glaze from the KNÖDGEN KERAMIK factory (formerly Ilkra Edel Keramik) in Ransbach-Baumbach, Germany. The flowing glaze in hues of blue-on-blue is almost iridescent and a perfect complement to the tapered form of the vase. ILKRA EDEL KERAMIK (later KNÖDGEN KERAMIK) was founded in the Rhineland by Jacob Leopold Knödgen in 1892—in the town of Ransbach-Baumbach, as Erste Ransbacher Feinsteinzeug-Fabrik J.L. Knödgen (First Ransbach Fine Stoneware Factory J.L. Knödgen). Knödgen's father owned a vitrified clay factory located in nearby Höhr, but Jacob chose to strike out on his own. The firm's initial program included typical Westerwald products: beer steins, wine jugs, and dishes. The range of decorative ceramics was greatly expanded following WWII, mainly on the initiative of Jacob's son Richard, who had taken over the firm in 1936. Around the same time, the company's name was shortened to JLKRA, an initialism of the founder's name a