Herman A. Kahler vaas vase met glans glazuur ca 1910

Herman August Kähler, meestal bekend als Herman A. Kähler, (6 maart 1846 - 16 november 1917) was een Deense keramiek ontwerper en -fabrikant die de Kähler-keramiek fabriek (Kählers Keramiske Værksted) in Næstved, Denemarken, leidde. Zijn dochter Sigrid trouwde met de schilder L.A. Ring.
Kähler was de zoon van Joachim Christian Herman Kähler (1808-1884) uit het Hertogdom Holstein die in 1839 een pottenbakkerij in Næstved oprichtte. Herman volgde de Technische School in Kopenhagen (1864-1865) terwijl hij privé studeerde bij Herman Wilhelm Bissen. Daarna reisde hij naar Duitsland, Zwitserland en Parijs en keerde eind 1867 terug naar Næstved.
Together with his younger brother Carl Frederik Kähler, he took over the running of the factory in 1872.[3] Carl became responsible for producing faience while Herman specialized in manufacturing tiled stoves. In 1875, after Carl withdrew, Herman built a new factory on the town's outskirts where he produced both stoves and pottery.[2]
As a result of his collaboration with the artist Vilhelm Klein, Kähler became interested in obtaining the red lustre glaze known as maiolica which had been produced in Gubbio, Italy, in the 16th century. In 1888 he succeeded, developing the now famous ruby glaze known as Kähler red.[3] The designer Karl Hansen Reistrup (1863–1929) soon joined the enterprise, assisting in the production of finely formed, artistically decorated items, especially vases.[2] Thanks to Reistrup's designs, Kähler's ceramics achieved considerable success both at the Great Nordic Exhibition held in Copenhagen in 1888 and at the Exposition Universelle held the following year in Paris.[1] A number of other artists began to design items for the Kähler factory, including Thorvald Bindesbøll, H. A. Brendekilde, L.A. Ring and Svend Hammershøi. Their contributions further enhanced the firm's international success.[4]
Kähler died in Næstved in 1917. His son Herman Hans Christian Kähler (1876-1940) who had taken over management of the factory in 1901 continued to run the enterprise.