Cascade Bisque Porcelain Vase - Martin Freyer for Rosenthal , 1960s–1970s

A matte white Rosenthal vase with a softly faceted body and deeply layered relief. The surface moves between wave, fold, and pleat, giving the piece a shifting optical rhythm and a dry, tactile presence.

• Dimensions: H 24.5 cm, W 18 cm, D 10 cm
• Material: Bisque porcelain
  
• Brand: Rosenthal
  
• Designer: Martin Freyer
  
• Color: White
  
• Era: Mid-century modern, 1960s–1970s (produced in 1994)
  
• Origin: West Germany
  
• Condition: Very good to excellent vintage condition; no chips, cracks, or restorations. Minimal age-related traces consistent with careful preservation.
  
• Remarks: Rosenthal mark and Freyer signature in relief, Cascade series.

This vase has a crisp, gallery-like presence that works especially well in interiors built around texture rather than color. The white bisque surface catches light softly, so it can lift darker shelves, walnut cabinets, or stone consoles without feeling stark. At 24.5 cm high, it has enough volume to hold its own on a sideboard or pedestal, where the relief becomes more pronounced as daylight moves across it. A strong choice for monochrome rooms, layered modern interiors, or spaces that mix clean lines with tactile materials like linen, travertine, boucle, and brushed metal.

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.

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.