Contrasting Porcelain Vase Duo – Tapio Wirkkala, Alain Le Foll and Hans Theo Baumann for Rosenthal, 1970s–1980s

Porcelain vase duo from Rosenthal Studio-Line, both based on a form by Tapio Wirkkala and finished with two distinct surface designs by Alain Le Foll and Hans Theo Baumann. One vase features Le Foll’s soft platinum Chiffon decor, while the other is defined by Baumann’s crisp black-and-white geometric pattern, creating a balanced pairing of fluid surface and graphic precision.

• Dimensions: each H 18 cm, W 11 cm, D 5 cm
  
• Material: Porcelain
  
• Brand: Rosenthal 
  
• Designer: Form by Tapio Wirkkala; decors by Alain Le Foll and Hans Theo Baumann
  
• Color: White, platinum, and black
  
• Condition: Very good vintage condition; light wear consistent with age; no chips, cracks, or repairs
  
• Era: 1970s–1980s
  
• Origin: Germany
  
• Remarks: Set of two

Style them together on a console, shelf, or sideboard so the contrast between the two decors reads clearly. Keep the setting clean and let the pair work as a dialogue between soft shimmer and graphic pattern.

Hans Theo Baumann (1924–2016) was one of the leading figures of German post-war design, working across porcelain, glass, interiors and industrial design. Born in Basel, he trained in textile design and studied in Dresden and Basel before beginning a long collaboration with Rosenthal from 1954 into the 1970s, while also running his own studio and later teaching design in Berlin and Ahmedabad. His work is known for clear geometry, precision and a strong understanding of material, qualities that also define his porcelain designs for Rosenthal.

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.

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.

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.