Cup and saucer from a tea service c. 1928

Margarete Heymann-Marks Löbenstein made this cup and saucer from a tea service, and it’s all about the glaze, the way it pools and settles, revealing the hand in its making. The off-white color feels warm, not sterile, and the surface has a delicate texture that invites you to touch it. It reminds me of that moment when you pull a ceramic piece from the kiln, not quite sure what you’ll get. The handle is so curious, like a stack of doughy bubbles, a playful contrast to the cone-like geometry of the cup. I’m reminded of Lucie Rie, another ceramicist who wasn’t afraid to let the material speak for itself. It’s this conversation between form and surface, control and chance, that makes this cup more than just a vessel; it’s an object of quiet contemplation, of simple pleasures.