Axel Salto (1889–1961)
Spherical vase, 1958
Stoneware, Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory
In the 1950s, Axel Salto created some of his most sculptural stoneware forms, including the Spherical vase. Named after its shape, the vase rises up to an impressive 66.3 cm. The top of each sphere is decorated in the fluted style, while the rest of the body is left undecorated. The entire vase is glazed in the so-called Blåmusling glaze, flowing across the fluted decoration in shades of light brown.
The Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory developed the Blåmusling glaze especially for Salto, who wanted a powerful and dramatic glaze for the large and distinctive works he created in the 1950s.1 Up until this point, Salto had used glazes that were already part of the factory’s production. This new, special blue glaze was very well suited to all three signature styles, the ‘fluted’, ‘budding’ and ‘sprouting’ style. Perhaps this is why Salto was practically alone in using this glaze, which got its official name because its exquisite shades of blue and white were reminiscent of the shell of a blue mussel.
Sadly, we know little about the creation of the Spherical vase, but it is likely to be a unique piece.2 Salto produced very few one-of-a-kind works at The Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory because he often made plaster moulds of his individual models, enabling them to be reproduced. C.L. David acquired the vase for his collection a few years prior to his death in 1960. Notably, the Spherical vase is also one of Salto’s last works: he died the year after C.L. David, in 1961.
The Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory developed the Blåmusling glaze especially for Salto, who wanted a powerful and dramatic glaze for the large and distinctive works he created in the 1950s.1 Up until this point, Salto had used glazes that were already part of the factory’s production. This new, special blue glaze was very well suited to all three signature styles, the ‘fluted’, ‘budding’ and ‘sprouting’ style. Perhaps this is why Salto was practically alone in using this glaze, which got its official name because its exquisite shades of blue and white were reminiscent of the shell of a blue mussel.
Sadly, we know little about the creation of the Spherical vase, but it is likely to be a unique piece.2 Salto produced very few one-of-a-kind works at The Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory because he often made plaster moulds of his individual models, enabling them to be reproduced. C.L. David acquired the vase for his collection a few years prior to his death in 1960. Notably, the Spherical vase is also one of Salto’s last works: he died the year after C.L. David, in 1961.