West-Germany pottery planter by Tönnieshof Carstens

Tönnieshof Carsten West-Germany.

West German Art Pottery or Fat Lava refers to the ceramics produced in West German Studios from the early 1950s until reunification of East and West Germany in 1990. 

• Height: 17,5 cm. 
• Diameter: 19 cm. 

Carstens Tönnieshof. 
On April 30th 1878 Christian Hinrich Carstens bought the Carstens & Stahl wholesale trade. In 1892 Christian Carstens acquired a ceramics business in Rheinsberg (Brandenburg) together with his brother Ernst Carstens. For a long time the business consisted of many branches, but due to WW II the business ceased to exist. After they had lost their ceramics and China factories on East German soil (Carstens Uffrecht) in 1948 (due to expropriation and conversion into state owned company), Christian and Ernst Carstens founded the Carstens Tönnieshof concern. Carstens Uffrecht turned into the East German vase manufacturer VEB Haldensleben in 1945. The West German Carstens concern had been situated at Fredelsloh (Niedersachsen) from 1947. Carstens did not only manufacture vases, but also lamp bases, candlesticks, wall reliefs, and clock casings. 

Most shapes and decorative designs originated from Trude Carstens,  founder Ernst Carstens’ wife. She was artistic director until her death in 1965. Rudolf Christmann succeeded her. He was the one who had been employed at Dümler & Breiden and who joined the concern in 1966 to leave it in 1968. 

Carstens only produced copies in limited amounts of each design, a lot less than e.g. Scheurich did. In the 70s there were branches in Brazil, Argentina, Chili, Australia, and Austria. The concern at Fredelsloh closed its doors in 1977. Financial problems put an end to Carstens Tönnieshof in 1984.