NDL Ostasien Express

This striking original poster, designed by German illustrator Hugo Feldtmann in the 1930s, advertises the N.D.L. Ostasien Express operated by Norddeutscher Lloyd Bremen. With bold Art Deco styling and a distinct influence of Japonisme, the image beautifully balances modernist design with Eastern-inspired elegance.

The artwork features three sister ships—Gneisenau, Potsdam, and Scharnhorst—launched in 1935, gliding diagonally across a golden sea. Each liner is crisply rendered in stylized geometric form, topped with distinctive orange funnels. In the foreground, a delicate tree branch arcs across the composition, with vividly colored sparrows perched along its length, adding depth and poetic contrast to the streamlined ships.

The poster captures both the promise of international luxury travel and the tranquil beauty of the East Asia route via the Suez Canal to Shanghai. Of the trio, only the Potsdam survived WWII, later serving with P&O and the Pan-Islamic Steamship Company until 1976.

With its rich colors, sharp typography, and elegant visual layering, this piece is in excellent condition, a rare and compelling example of early 20th-century travel advertising.