Black Bisque Porcelain Trio – Freyer, Lashai and Schreib for Rosenthal, 1970s–1980s

A refined Rosenthal Studio-Line trio in matte black bisque porcelain, bringing together pleated relief, soft linear movement, and textured surface. The three forms create a balanced composition of height, density, and rhythm. 

• Dimensions:
  
  • Farideh Lashai vase: H 26 cm, Dia. 9.5 cm
    
  • Martin Freyer vase: H 23 cm, Dia. 6.5 cm
    
  • Werner Schreib vase: H 18.5 cm, Dia. 12 cm
• Material: Black bisque porcelain / Porcelaine Noire
  
• Brand: Rosenthal
  
• Designer: Martin Freyer, Farideh Lashai, Werner Schreib
  
• Color: Matte black
  
• Era: 1970s–1980s
  
• Origin: Germany
  
• Condition: Very good to excellent vintage condition; no chips, cracks, or restorations. Minimal signs of handling consistent with age.
  
• Remarks: Set of three

The varied surface patterns give the trio its richness. Each vase brings a different tactile note, moving from structured rhythm to a softer, more organic relief. Together they work beautifully against dark backgrounds and deep, saturated colors, where black porcelain can unfold its full depth. Especially strong on dark wood or stone, the group adds texture, shadow, and a quiet sense of warmth.

Hans Martin Freyer (1909–1975) was a German painter, graphic and industrial designer whose work ranged from architecture and stage design to textiles and product design. Best known to the wider public as the creator of the refined Volkswagen VW logo in 1938, he later worked as a freelance designer of patterns, structures and reliefs. From 1964 to 1974 he designed for Rosenthal, developing sculptural relief decorations for glass and porcelain in the studio-line – most famously the Plissée vases, whose pleated, fabric-like white or black bisque surfaces remain icons of mid-century and Op-Art influenced German porcelain design.

Farideh Lashai (1944–2013) was an Iranian painter, printmaker, and multimedia artist whose practice ranged from lyrical abstraction to later video-based work. Trained in Munich and Vienna, she also worked for Studio Rosenthal in Selb, where her design language entered ceramics; documented works include Rosenthal vase designs from the 1960s, now noted for their softly flowing relief and restrained modernist surface.

Werner Schreib (1925-1969) was a German painter and graphic artist known for “structural ornament” pattern work and experimental print techniques, and his visual language also appeared on Rosenthal Künstlerporzellan. In the 1960s he is credited with matte white bisque-porcelain pieces - especially relief vases (e.g., model 3054) and design objects like ashtrays/lighters - now collected for their crisp, Op-Art-like surface rhythm.

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.