Rare artist’s prototype vase in glazed porcelain by Italian designer Laura Fiume for Rosenthal Studio Line, with a hexagonal body, bold zigzag side elements and hand-painted postmodern decor in red, grey, ochre, beige and gold. Larger than the later production model, this one-off atelier piece captures the colour-driven, graphic energy of early-1990s Memphis-era design.
- Dimensions: H 22,5 cm, W 26 cm, D 16 cm
- Material: Glazed porcelain, hand-applied decoration
- Brand: Rosenthal
- Designer: Laura Fiume
- Color: Multicolour – red, grey, ochre, beige with gold accents on white ground
- Condition: Excellent vintage condition; no chips, cracks or restorations, minimal signs of age
- Era: 1990s (dated 27.05.1990)
- Origin: Germany
- Remarks: Atelier prototype, larger than the production version; unikat piece with handwritten code and date to unglazed base, no standard serial markings
A statement piece for a focused spot rather than a wide empty surface: place it on a console or sideboard corner with a neutral backdrop, one or two art books and maybe a single plain candlestick, so its colour blocks and angles can really stand out. It also works well on a low shelf or cabinet near eye level, with no flowers at all or just a very simple arrangement in one tone, letting the graphic pattern behave like a piece of painting in three dimensions.
Laura Fiume (born 1953, Urbino) is an Italian artist and designer educated in Milan at the Liceo Artistico and the Polytechnic School of Design (studying with Bruno Munari and Max Huber) before deepening her practice in Canzo near Como, where she learned ceramics and serigraphy. She is credited with Rosenthal artist-porcelain pieces (including the Künstler-Sammeldose 2403/2 and Studio-Line espresso collector cups) and developed her own ceramic body of work in Canzo between 1985–2004, often centered on fish forms and graphic decoration.
Rosenthal, founded in 1879 in Selb, Bavaria, is one of Germany’s most important porcelain manufacturers, recognised for combining industrial production with high design standards. With its Studio-Linie programme from the 1960s onwards, Rosenthal invited international artists and designers to create avant-garde forms and décors, making pieces like this set both functional objects and design collectibles.