Scandinavian Brutalist ceramic bird flower frog vase by Swedish pottery artist Lars Bergsten, dating from the 1960s. The stylised bird is handmade in reddish-brown ceramic with a richly textured surface, incised decoration and warm brown glazing. Several openings along the back are designed to hold individual flower stems, allowing the piece to function as a ceramic flower frog, flower arranger or bud vase as well as a freestanding decorative sculpture. Displayed with or without flowers, it works beautifully as Mid-Century Modern shelf decor or Scandinavian pottery for a curated interior, or an unusual statement piece among vintage ceramics.

Lars Bergsten (1920–2011) was a Swedish ceramic artist educated at Konstfack in Stockholm. He established his own pottery workshop in the 1940s and became particularly associated with figurative ceramics, producing both functional pottery and sculptural pieces.

ERA: 1960s
DESIGNER/MAKER: Lars Bergsten
ORIGIN: Sweden
MATERIAL: Glazed ceramic / pottery
MARKS: Bergsten maker's mark underneath, also sticker from the store which originally sold it.
DIMENSIONS: Height 17 cm / 6.7 in – Length 11 cm / 4.3 in – Width 9 cm / 3.5 in
WEIGHT: 805 g / 28.4 oz
CONDITION: Good vintage condition with some age-related surface wear, including visible wear around the edges of one of the flower openings. Please see photographs for details.