Riessner, Stellmacher and Kessel (RSt&K), consistently marked pieces with the tradename “Amphora” by the late 1890s and became known by that name. The Amphora factory was located in Turn-Teplitz, Austria. By the mid-19th century, the area formed a de facto ceramics production center that was also home to Kunstkeramik Paul Dachsel, Eduard Stellmacher and Co., and others.
Paul Dachsel was the son-in-law of Alfred Stellmacher, the founder of Amphora Pottery. Very little is known or was written about Dachsel. He served as a designer at Amphora from 1893 until 1905. There, he was instrumental in creating new motifs and designs inspired by the voluptuous, organic Art Nouveau style, as well as incorporating Japanese shapes, such as the sake bottle, to a traditional Victorian vase body. Very soon, most of the vases had converted to Art Nouveau in shape and decoration.
In 1905, Dachsel founded his own pottery studio, Kunstkeramik Paul Dachsel. He continued to draw inspiration from Art Nouveau and created designs that favored simple forms elaborated with applied handles, rims, and ornaments. In many examples, he favored tertiary colors and folded, flat, and soft-edged shapes, giving his work a fairy-tale quality. Dachsel’s ceramic studio remained in business until 1911.