This is a quote I found about the pottery by Walter Gerhards - I believe it says alot:
"From the first time I picked up one of the vases made by Walter Gerhards KG, they became one of my all-time favorite companies that made West-Germany vases during the sixties and seventies. A lot of mystery still surrounds this maker, and our knowledge is definitely fragmentary. They were first thought to be called Söndgen, later Kera Keramik, but we only recently found out that the company was actually called Walter Gerhards KG, and they were located at the epicenter of the German ceramics industry in Ransbach - Baumbach, located in the famous Westerwald area. The company was probably led by Mr. Walter Gerhards himself, as he is listed as the liable person for the company in the companies registry (Handelsregister). They existed only for a short period of time: from 1959 until January 25, 1978, when it was deregistered. During this period the factory apparently produced items under the names "WG Kera Modern" and "WG Exquisite Kera Modern" from 1959 until 1974, and from 1974 until 1978 under the name "Gerhards" and "Gerhards Gmbh". Labels on these vases seem relatively rare, but most vases are marked in a specific way, that can help us recognize them.
Because the company only existed for 19 years, this would logically mean that the output from Walter Gerhards KG is much smaller, and thus rarer, than the output from large and long existing companies like Scheurich or Ruscha. So why do I love the vases that were made by Walter Gerhards? The ranges produced have strong shapes, that for me are characteristic for the Mid Century Modern period, mostly with sharp angles combined with curved lines. Some shapes are unlike anything any other company ever made, and they are very innovative."
The vase is in great shape - with no apparent damage. There are a couple of small "craters" in the glaze - similar to what is found in the lava of many of this period vases.
