Coffee pot and lid from a coffee set

Born in Austria, Gertrud and Otto Natzler collaborated on their ceramics from the early 1930s until Gertrud's death in 1971. Primarily self-taught artists, the Natzlers established their first studio in 1935, rejecting the fashion for ornate ceramics in favor of simple, classical forms and unique decorative glazes. The Natzlers were famous for their division of labor: Gertrud created exquisite and delicate vessels while Otto handled firing and invented vivid glazes. Their works were sold in Vienna and shown in the 1937 International Exposition in Paris; however, they soon began feeling pressure from the Nazi Party owing to their Jewish heritage. In 1938, they emigrated from Vienna to Los Angeles where they continued in their lifetime creative output of some 25, 000 ceramic vessels. The pure, cylindrical form of Getrud's coffee pot is enhanced by Otto's bright chartreuse glaze. Though the now iconic color took years to develop, Otto used the glaze sparingly. The MIA's coffee pot (and accompanying coffee service) was the only one made in this particular glaze.