Wilhelm Kåge vase

This is a rare ceramic vase from the Farsta series, designed by Wilhelm Kåge and produced by Gustavsberg in Sweden during the 1950s. It exemplifies the mid-century Scandinavian ceramic tradition, combining sculptural form with vivid glazing and refined craftsmanship.

The form is bowl-like and sits on a distinctive hand-built tripod base composed of three broad legs. The upper vessel is rounded and vertically upright, with a pronounced rim finished in a textured edge. The body is richly glazed in a saturated turquoise blue, transitioning subtly into a deeper blue with subtle crosshatched tonal modulation. The glaze shows beautiful, intentional dripping along the lower edge, revealing a grooved band of unglazed red stoneware with sgraffito-like grid work incised around the perimeter. The base and feet are unglazed, revealing the characteristic rough reddish-brown clay body, typical of the Farsta series. The sculpted legs are slightly flared and punctuated with natural firing marks and light pitting, retaining the raw materiality of the stoneware.

The condition is good with small signs of usage consistent with age. There is minor wear visible on the edges of the feet and occasional surface marks, none of which detract from the piece’s integrity or visual presence.

Wilhelm Kåge (1889–1960) was one of Sweden’s foremost ceramic artists and designers. As the artistic director of Gustavsberg from 1917 until his death, he was instrumental in shaping modern Swedish ceramic production. Kåge’s Farsta pieces, named after the clay-bearing peninsula near Gustavsberg, are particularly noted for their experimental surfaces and architectural forms. Each item in the Farsta series was handmade, often signed and numbered, and frequently produced in extremely limited editions.

Gustavsberg, one of Sweden’s most historic porcelain manufacturers, was founded in the 19th century and became internationally recognized for its collaborations with artists like Kåge, Stig Lindberg, and Berndt Friberg. The Farsta line was developed post-World War II when Kåge explored more sculptural expressions in response to the studio ceramics movement.

This vase measures 15 cm in diameter and 18 cm in height, which corresponds to approximately 5.9 inches by 7.1 inches.