Op art isn’t restricted to just two-dimensional painting and graphics. In the middle of the previous century, more than a dozen companies in Germany produced op-art ceramics—particularly vases. Typically, they used bisque porcelain with a matte white or black finish that left the striking shapes unglazed and unadorned. Twentieth century designers such as Heinrich Fuchs and Tapio Wirkkala focused on the way that light plays on the carved shapes of a cylinder. Over time, artists played with visuals and imitated nature in a surprising number of forms. Some vases suggest sea-pounded boulders, crystalline rock formations, tree bark, and shell and tide-pool structures.

The pattern in the socks shown here is reminiscent of the natural forms Heinrich Fuchs used in his art. These socks are worked with two circular needles, with the heel integrated into the leg pattern. The left and right socks are mirror images.

Sizes: About 8¼ (9)“ (21 23 cm) foot circumference, unstretched, and 9¼ (11)” (23.5 28 cm) foot length from back of heel to tip of toe (length is adjustable). To fit U.S. women’s shoe sizes 7–8 (men’s 11½–12½); European shoe sizes 38–40 (45–46).