Featured mcm fat lava

fat lava vase - signed Germany not W. Germany - combined crackle and drip glaze with typical brown curdled interior - signed in white but I can't make heads or tails of it....

 

ohhh - it's very large - 10 1/2" tall with 6" diameter

 

While I agree that this is MCM, I wouldn't call it fat lava, which is a raised and bubble suffused effect. This appears to be more of a drip effect.

The "fat lava" label is very frequently applied to pieces that don't qualify.

 

I couldn't tell you the difference btw a Fat Lava and a Fat Albert,unless by Phat Lava you mean this.................

 

That's more or less the appearance of fat laza, but isn't that a crucible?

Here's a fat lava lamp from a Canadian company called Chalvignac:


And a close-up of the glaze:


Fat lava has a thick, foamy appearance.

 

Nice-sophisticated funky brutalist look.

 

Well, at least I always knew who Fat Albert was...an' a bit more recently, Fat Leonard (no kin)...but Fat Lava...I dunno from Adam's off ox.

 

according to everything I know and have read fat lava gained it's name not from the eruptions in the glaze but the thickness of the glaze (fat/thick) - I did a word search on eBay for fat lava sold highest price first and there are as many non-eruption glazes that sold for good money as there are for eruption glazes... a lot of non-eruption drip glazes pieces do well and are desirable - basically in my eyes fat lava is mid-century german pottery with thick glazes.... I also think sometimes this board gets a little technical - terms vary according to regions - I live in south florida but originally from the mid-atlantic - I sold antiques in that area for over 25 years and we always refered to signatures on glass pottery and such as hallmarks - unless etched (like waterford for example) which was then called a watermark) while a lot of definitions reserved "hallmark" pertaining to just precious metals in actuality that is not really correct - most definitions for hallmark are as follows: noun:
a mark on an article of trade to indicate its origin and authenticity.
I'm not sure it's supposed to be a pissing contest but it often feels like some of the users here feel the need to trump every single thing they can pounce on - it actually makes me uncomfortable at times

 

Agreed...Very Well Said!

 

Would this glaze an' color be considered Fat Lava?
*I have been told (see link...it IS a Fat Lava; better pics!)
that it is RUSCHA, Form 333.
It's about 7" tall.
*EDIT: https://www.antiquers.com/threads/i...ll-then-wot-th-heck-izzit.71721/#post-4494680

 

I do ignore the content of certain members for that very reason. You can click on my avatar and select "ignore." It works great, except I will occasionally say something useful. Not now, of course.

 

Fat lava is one of those "I know it when I see it" things. The OP's doesn't look like a lava glaze.

 

I'd want to see it in person before deciding. I looked at various pieces I've had that I called fat lava in choosing photos to show, and it's hard to tell from the photos, but it's easy when handling the pieces.

Fat lava, as a glaze description, is a fairly recent term. All it takes is to have people see that fat lava is desirable to have the name applied to any number of pieces that do not fit the intent of the name. It was originally intended to describe a particular glaze manifestation. To many, it seems that fat lava has become a generic term for MCM pottery, especially German.

In purchasing fat lava, I would have expectations, and a great number of pieces so described would not meet those expectations. Would I be correct in calling them "not as described"? I believe so, because to me it is a specifically descriptive term, not a generic one.

 

I sold my pair of fabulous 'Fat Lava' lamps at auction back in 2017 and wished I would have held on to them! https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/53428135_pair-of-brutalist-style-fat-lava-pottery-lamps I was always taught that it was the thick glaze with nooks and crannies kind of like a Thomas 'English Muffin' This glaze looks more like drip but WDIK?

 

Janetpjohn, I always pay attention to your posts!

 

Well, fat lava can be both a technical term and a general term for a certain style of German mcm pottery. So, no pissing contests here, I think. Your pot is not ringing any bells for factory id, but there is a Facebook group that might help: West German Pottery (and East German). If you're not on FB, I would be happy to post it for you if there's no further info here.