1950s STREHLA KERAMIK PITCHER VASE Nr. 999 (12 cm)

A freckled, brown-and-white cabinet vase (no. 999) with a bold, golden-orange hash-mark décor and a glossy, blue-and-white interior from STREHLA KERAMIK of East Germany. STREHLA KERAMIK was established in Dresden in Saxony perhaps as early as 1828.  Some speculate that its origins extend even further back to a small Saxon town between Dresden and Leipzig whose name it bears.  Early production was both utilitarian and decorative.  The company was taken over in 1930 by a local stoneworks, Steingutfabrik Colditz.  Following WWII and the division of Germany, STREHLA was nationalized by the GDR and continued operation as VEB Steingutfabrik Strehla until its closed its doors in 1989, the year of German reunification.  (The abbreviation VEB stands for Volkseigener Betrieb, or People's Enterprise.)  The quality of items produced peaked during the 1950s, deteriorating somewhat during subsequent decades. STREHLA KERAMIK produced mainly vases and flowerpots—sometimes of a striking beauty.  Typic