Ram Arnhem, vase model 17, ‘Damast’ pattern by Theo Colenbrander

Description

This vase was produced around 1922–1923 by the Dutch pottery company N.V. Plateelbakkerij Ram from Arnhem. The factory was established in 1921 with the aim “of developing a new Dutch art pottery industry based on the principles and innovations of T.A.C. (Theodoor) Colenbrander”. Theo Colenbrander (31 October 1841 – 28 May 1930) was a very famous Dutch designer who had previously been associated with the Rozenburg pottery factory in The Hague and Plateelbakkerij Zuid-Holland from Gouda. Colenbrander was 80 years old when he began working for Ram. He created both the designs of the models and their decorative patterns. This piece is model 17, a vase featuring a wide base, a slightly bulbous body and a slender, tapering neck. It measures 25.7 cm or 10,1 inch in height and 12.5 cm or 4.9 inch in width. The object is painted with an imaginative design in a stunning colour palette. Known as ‘Damast’ (Damask), the pattern consists of areas of yellow, pink, brown, burgundy, green and dark blue set against a white background. The neck features a burgundy finish, while the base is dark blue.
During the factory’s early years, Colenbrander was deeply involved in the production of these vases. He would sketch the patterns in pencil onto the white clay and add instructions for the painters on how to apply the specific colour palette he had meticulously put together. He would then apply watercolour paint himself to guide the painters in executing these sophisticated designs. The decorator then finished the design before the vase underwent a second firing. This vase is signed by Frits van Beest (FB).
The vase bears clear markings. There is a reference to the factory: Ram and Arnhem, Holland. The pattern name (Damast) is also marked. Additionally, the model number (17) and the signature of decorator Frits van Beest (F.R.) are present. As the vase lacks the round factory stamp (introduced in 1923) and does not bear a date letter, it is an early piece from the factory’s first two years of production. The vase is in a neat condition. Only a small chip (less than a centimeter wide) on the base has undergone a professional, invisible restoration.
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