Bay Keramik Aztec vase in blue by Bodo Mans

Stunning small blue vase stamped 96-14 to the base with distinctive curly Y associated with Bay.

Note: small hairline crack on one corner of the base (which carries through to the interior) and is also visible inside. Barely noticeable when displayed.

BAY KERAMIK was founded in 1934 by Eduard Bay in Ransbach-Baumbach, a small town in the heart of the Kannenbäckerland in western Germany.  (The Kannenbäckerland, or “potters’ land”—a historic centre of the ceramics industry—is the site of the largest clay deposit in Europe.)  Its output was primarily utilitarian prior to the early 1950s when more and more decorative items were introduced.

Production and sales grew rapidly throughout the decade, and, by the early 1960s, BAY was a leading manufacturer of art ceramics.  Bodo Mans, probably the best-known designer of the period, was employed by the company from 1959 through 1975. His work is considered highly collectable today.