Fat Lava Reproductions – Otto Keramik

Kevin Graham of the Pottery & Glass Forum has alerted me to the fact that a number of vintage Fat Lava glazes and shapes by Otto Keramik are now being reproduced. So far, the shapes are the UFO vases shown in the image below and the bulls (sometimes called bison) that were originally produced by Ruscha. The shapes are identical in size and detail as Otto Keramik are using the original moulds.
As you can see, the glazes are very typical of those used during the 1960s & 70s, so it’s easy to be caught out. A few collectors already have been when buying on eBay.
I think it’s important to point out that these pieces are being produced and sold by Otto Keramik as brand new – there’s no intention to deceive from their side. They’re a working pottery who are simply responding to the fashion and demand for retro pottery from the 1960s & 70s. The problems come when unscrupulous, or simply unaware, sellers offer them as vintage pieces to unwitting collectors.
Although this is undoubtedly a temporarily negative thing for the market, the appearance of reproductions or even fakes often signals the fact that a market has ‘arrived’. Welcome, Fat Lava – you have arrived…

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