A Load of Old Bull!
Tuesday/20/March 2007
It's
often amazing what crops up on eBay.de. Earlier
this month I found a rather superb Ruscha bull, in
the desirable 'Vulcano' glaze. According to Petra
& Patrick Folkersma of Outernational,
Ruscha made a small number of animals in the 1960s,
including an elephant which was the earliest
example made. The bull was made in four sizes, and
this is the second largest at just over 12.5in
(32cm) in length. They are known in a number of
glazes produced by the company, but 'Vulcano' is
one of the most desirable. All I can say is that if
you see one, buy it! They were pretty expensive at
the time, and not as useable as a vase. As a
result, comparatively few were sold, and very few
of these survived due to their fragility. They are
moulded in one part, and the protruding horns in
particular are very susceptible to damage.
Furthermore, as the mould was one piece and complex
in form, the liquid clay is often very thin in
areas, so the slightest knock can create a hole.
Think of an Easter egg! Outernational sell these
very rare pieces in a white glaze for over $200,
but I think that they have a long way to go value
wise. They also break up the monotony of vases and
bowls, and look rather magnificent on display. They
also follow in the tradition of 'postwar bulls', as
a number of potteries across Europe and the UK made
stylised examples. Anyway, here he is - sorry if my
excitement meant that my camera work is a little
shakey!
