Stunning Sgraffito handcrafted, footed, vintage urn vase

Stunning charcoal grey and white vintage Sgraffito technique footed urn vase. This is a beautifully crafted handmade item, most likely from the 1960's. Sgraffito is a technique where multiple layers of different coloured glaze is applied, then prior to drying/firing, the layers are scraped away by hand to create colour contrasting designs. In this case the designs are a striking oblique repeating pattern of curls that look both soft and free as individual strokes of the sculptor's knife, yet when you stand back and look they all join to form a more geometric linear pattern. Very clever and beautifully done. The sculptor has also added a perfect ring just below the lip on both the interior and exterior. Where the dark glaze has been scraped away to reveal the lower white glaze it is indented, giving the vase texture.

The vase has a lovely shape, again combining curves and straight lines, and the body flows into a shaped pedestal foot, which adds interest and creates an elegant silhouette.

Inside the vase the charcoal colour glaze merges from a solid line into a gently fading colour. The exterior of the vase is smooth, however the inside of the vase has slight rings suggestive of being hand shaped.

The glaze has a very slight texture and is finished in a soft satin finish which reflects the light in a soft diffuse glow rather than a bright reflection. It is very pretty and quite a statement piece. Overall the item is in very good vintage condition, however there is some minor crazing to the glaze on the base and also to the interior of the vase, along with a little discolouration inside the vase from use. The exterior charcoal coloured glaze shows no signs of crazing and is in excellent condition.

The vase is beautiful just as a statement piece of hand crafted art, but is also a lovely useable size and very heavy and stable, so it would be perfect for displaying a large bouquet.

The vase measures approximately 20.5cm in height and is approximately 13cm wide, with an internal diameter across the open mouth of the vase of 12 cm.