Richard Kjærgaard Large Stoneware Bowl with Picasso-Inspired Decoration, Denmark, 1960s
Large and highly expressive studio stoneware bowl by Danish ceramic artist Richard Kjærgaard (1919–1999), made in Denmark in the 1960s.
The striking hand-painted decoration is the defining feature of this piece. A bold, almost mythical creature unfolds across the surface in sweeping black lines against a subtle grey-green glaze, highlighted with muted ochre details and framed by a deep reddish-brown glazed rim.
The highly graphic composition — with its prominent eye, spiral tail and fragmented, almost calligraphic forms — recalls the visual language associated with Picasso's ceramics and the spontaneous figurative imagery of the CoBrA movement. Rather than a conventional Scandinavian decorative motif, the design has an unusually free and expressive character, moving between abstraction and primitive-inspired figuration.
With its unusually large 38 cm diameter, the bowl has a strong sculptural presence and works particularly well as a display piece.
The underside is hand-signed with Kjærgaard's RK monogram and DANMARK.
Dimensions: Ø 38 cm × H 8 cm.
Condition: Good vintage condition with light age-related wear and natural variations to the handmade glaze and surface. Please refer to the detailed photographs.