Extremely rare large MCM Israeli hand-painted orange pottery vase by Lapid

46cm x 17cm, hand painted, maker’s mark on the base, in good condition. Rare offering from our private collection. 

Lapid Pottery was formed in 1944 during British Mandate to Israel. The year 1949 was an Important year for the pottery when Dr. K. Moosberg became a main partner in the factory and the factory changed its original goal of making tiles and sanitary wares – to producing Art Pottery which is the Lapid Pottery most people are now familiar with.

In 1949 the Art Department was established at Lapid. Amongst the designers at Lapid over the years were Elspeth Cohen, Dr. Bertha Rosenthal, Ray Silverman &  Dvora Gazit. The designers were primarily responsible for the forms and shapes, and the head decorator the designs – although often it was a joint collaboration. A group of 7-8 decorators would then hand paint the designs onto the art pottery, making for subtle variations between the same base designs, and each piece unique.

Lapid was certainly influenced by Scandinavian and West German pottery of the time, which is probably what attracts collectors to i, but at the same time there is nothing else quite like it because some of the colours and designs show strong local influence of the colours and archaeology of its’ deserts.