“Chiffon” Vase Duo – Tapio Wirkkala & Alain Le Foll for Rosenthal, 1980–1982

Porcelain vase duo from the “Chiffon” series, combining Tapio Wirkkala’s faceted forms with Alain Le Foll’s fine linear décor that becomes denser toward the base. The white surfaces and flowing graphic pattern bring together Finnish modernist clarity, French illustrative sensibility, and Rosenthal’s refined German porcelain production.

• Dimensions:
  • Smaller vase: H 18 cm, W 11 cm, D 5 cm
  • Larger vase: H 21 cm, W 14 cm, D 7 cm
• Material: Porcelain
• Brand: Rosenthal
• Designer: Tapio Wirkkala & Alain Le Foll
• Color: White with black & golden graphic décor
• Condition: Very good vintage condition
• Era: 1980–1982
• Origin: Germany
• Remarks: Set of two. Decoration remains crisp and well preserved.

A beautiful pair for collectors, but also very easy to place in everyday interiors. They work especially well on a console, sideboard, or shelf in modern, minimal, or 1980s-inspired spaces.

Tapio Wirkkala (1915–1985) was one of the most important Finnish designers and sculptors of the 20th century and a major figure of post-war Nordic design. His work for Rosenthal – including the iconic crumpled paper bag vases and the geometric Polygon tableware for the Studio Line – uniquely combined Scandinavian minimalism with German porcelain craftsmanship and is still considered a milestone in the Rosenthal portfolio. Beyond Rosenthal, Wirkkala’s multidisciplinary designs in glass, wood, metal and porcelain for Iittala and others, defined Nordic design with their minimalist, functional yet highly expressive character and are now widely recognized as modern design classics in museum collections worldwide.

Alain Le Foll (1934–1981) was a French illustrator, painter and lithographer, celebrated for his highly imaginative, nature-inspired worlds that blur the boundaries between mineral, vegetal and animal forms. Trained at the Beaux-Arts in Caen and the Académie Julian in Paris, he worked across press illustration, advertising, children’s books, design and lithography, and from 1962 created décors for Rosenthal porcelain as well as wallpapers for the Zuber manufactory in Alsace. From 1964 to 1981 he taught at the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs in Paris, where his poetic, meticulously drawn visual language influenced a generation of illustrators.

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.