Auction Description
Abell Presents: The Natzler Experience
A Rare Offering from the Legendary Hollywood Home of Gertrud and Otto Natzler
Los Angeles, California — Abell Auction Company is proud to announce The Natzler Experience, a landmark auction offering an unprecedented look into the life, work, and creative environment of pioneering ceramic artists Gertrud Natzler and Otto Natzler. Presented from their historic Hollywood Hills residence in Los Angeles, this sale represents a rare convergence of artistic legacy and personal history.
The auction will take place on April 21st, exclusively at Abell Auction Company, with live bidding available to collectors around the world.
Having fled the Nazi annexation of Austria in 1938, the Natzlers rebuilt their lives in Los Angeles, where they would go on to redefine the possibilities of modern ceramics. Over decades, Gertrud became celebrated for her exquisitely thin, masterfully thrown forms, while Otto developed more than 2,000 groundbreaking glazes through rigorous experimentation and near-scientific precision. Together, they produced over 25,000 works, many now held in major institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institution.
Yet The Natzler Experience goes far beyond the presentation of masterworks.
Drawn directly from the Natzlers’ longtime Hollywood home and studio—held within the same property for decades, this auction offers collectors something exceedingly rare: a true behind-the-scenes view into how these artists lived, worked, and created. The hillside residence, overlooking canyon landscapes, served not only as their studio but as a vibrant cultural salon within Los Angeles’ mid-century creative community.
At its center are select, important ceramic works, examples held back by the Natzlers themselves. These pieces, retained over a lifetime, represent their most personal benchmarks and highest standards, offering collectors an opportunity to acquire works of exceptional rarity and intimacy.
Surrounding these masterworks is an equally compelling offering: the objects that defined their daily lives. Furnishings, design elements, and personal possessions reveal the environment that shaped their aesthetic, what they collected, what they lived with, and what inspired their practice over decades.
“This is a rare opportunity to step inside the world of Gertrud and Otto Natzler,” said Patrick Abell. “We are not simply presenting their work; we are presenting their life. These are the pieces they chose to keep, to live with, and to surround themselves with in their Hollywood home. It is a chance to own not just a Natzler, but a piece of their history, and to experience the environment that shaped some of the most important ceramics of the 20th century.”
The offering captures the spirit of a home where art and life were inseparable, where vessels were conceived in light-filled studios, glazes refined through years of disciplined experimentation, and creativity extended into every aspect of daily living.
For collectors, scholars, and admirers of modern design, The Natzler Experience represents a singular moment: the opportunity to acquire not only important works by Gertrud and Otto Natzler, but also the very objects that defined their world.
Buyer's Premium
| Start | Premium(%) |
|---|---|
| $0 | 25.00 |
Bid Increments
| Start | Increments ($) |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
Shipping
Shipping Information Abell offers in-house shipping on select items. Please refer to the Shipping tab on each lot information page to confirm eligibility. In-house shipping is coordinated through the Shipping Saint platform, and buyers will receive shipping or pickup notifications directly from Shipping Saint via email or text. If you wish to collect your purchases at our offices, please select pickup. Commerce City sales tax will apply to all local pickups unless a valid resale certificate is provided at the time of release. If your item does not qualify for in-house shipping and you are arranging transport through a third-party shipper, please select the pickup option and provide a Bill of Lading to facilitate tax exemption, where applicable. Third Party Shipper List: https://www.abell.com/buy-sell/how-to-ship/
Terms & Conditions
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