Although this vase does not have a maker’s mark, similar vessels can be found with a foil label reading ‘Bay Keramik’ ‘HANDGEMALT’ which allows a secure identification here (see image XXXX for a very similar jug with its label). Founded by Eduard Bay in the 1930s and based in Ransbach Baumbach in the heart of the main West German pottery producing region, Bay Keramik grew to be one of the most prolific producers of ceramics in the ‘West German’ style and continued production into the 1990s. Concentrating at first on terracotta cooking pots and tableware, the company began producing a range of art pottery from the 1950s onwards which was to enjoy great popularity. The rather more abstract decoration here, combined with an austere simplicity of form, stands out somewhat from the bulk of their output but reflects the design trends of the 1950s and 1960s suggesting the most likely date of production.