BLUE SPARA AMPHORA STYLE FLOOR VASE Nr. 555/42

A large, blue-on-blue amphora style floor vase with a geometric relief décor from SPARA KERAMIK. In excellent vintage condition, it retains its original 1970s "SPARA Studio" foil label. SPARA KERAMIK was founded in 1947 by Ludwig Spang in the town of Ransbach-Baumbach in the Kannenbäckerland in central Germany. The Kannenbäckerland—the "jug-bakers' land"—is a centuries-old home to ceramics manufacture and the site of the largest clay deposit in Europe. A relatively small manufacturer, SPARA's output—which included both molded ceramics and hand-built pieces—was limited. Few details are known about the firm; like many ceramics companies of the day, it left no paper archive. (SPARA is a portmanteau of "Spang" and "Ransbach.") SPARA KERAMIK's modern production began in earnest in the late 1960's. Halidan Kutlu was its key designer in the very early 1970s. Kutlu, who also worked for Ü-Keramik and Majolika Karlsruhe, was Turkish-born; many of the items he designed during this period have a p