Sascha Brastoff China

Sascha Brastoff spearheaded a ceramics factory in Los Angeles from 1953 to 1973. His decorative accessories and ceramics are hailed for their bold, colorful designs. Hand painted with a trademark overglaze gold trim and flamboyant decorations, Brastoff created bowls, vases, ashtrays, and figurines during the factory's two decades of production.

During the early '40s, Brastoff was a successful artist living and working in New York City. His first showing at the Clay Club Sculpture Gallery in 1941 was a triumph, selling all 37 pieces. After joining the Air Force and spending years designing costumes and scenery for USO shows in Miami, he set up a ceramics plant in West Los Angeles named Sascha Brastoff Products Incorporated. With the support of millionaire industrialist Winthorpe B. Rockefeller, Brastoff was able to move to a much larger shop on Compton Avenue and finally expanded to a dual factory and studio on West Olympic Boulevard in 1953. At the grand opening, Hollywood celebrities such as Zsa Zsa Gabor and Mitzi Gaynor were among the guests.

Throughout the '50s, Brastoff was never short of work. He created one-of-a-kind pieces for Rockefeller and designed pieces for television shows. In 1963, the pressure proved to be too much and Brastoff had a nervous breakdown. He suffered from agoraphobia and rarely left his home. In 1965, at the coaxing of close friends, Brastoff began to produce again and created some of his most renowned pieces. The factory shut down in 1973, but Brastoff authorized the sale of his name to multiple companies producing ceramics and jewelry. He passed away in 1993.

Quick Facts

• Many pieces from his factory are stamped Sascha B., but pieces signed with his signature were made exclusively by him and are therefore more expensive
• Other manufacturers that used Sascha Brastoff's name included American Bisque Porcelains and Royal Haeger
• A Sascha Brastoff glazed ceramic lamp circa 1950 sold at Bonhams San Francisco in May 2009 for $976