Flash Porcelain Vase Duo & Candleholder Pair – Dorothy Hafner for Rosenthal, 1980s

A four-piece Rosenthal Studio-Line ensemble comprising two porcelain vases and two triangular candleholders decorated with Dorothy Hafner’s colourful “Flash” pattern. Introduced in 1982, the series combines bold geometric lines and contrasting colour blocks in a distinctive Postmodern design associated with the visual energy of the Memphis era.

• Dimensions:
  • Tall vase: H 23 cm, W 13 cm, D 13 cm
    
  • Smaller vase: H 19 cm,  W 11 cm, D 11 cm
    
  • Candleholders, each: H 4,5 cm, W 7,5 cm, D 7,5 cm
• Material: Glazed porcelain
  
• Brand: Rosenthal
  
• Designer: Dorothy Hafner
  
• Series: Flash
  
• Color: Ivory with multicoloured geometric decoration
  
• Condition: Very good vintage condition with minimal age-appropriate signs of use; no visible chips, cracks or restorations
  
• Era: 1980s
  
• Origin: Germany
  
• Remarks: Four-piece set comprising two vases and two matching triangular candleholders

The coordinated group works particularly well as a colourful centrepiece on a dining table, sideboard or mantel. Display the pieces together for a strong Postmodern composition, or distribute them across a room to repeat the same graphic accents.

Designed by Dorothy Hafner in 1982 and introduced by Rosenthal Studio-Line in 1984, “Flash” received numerous awards and citations for its innovative approach to tableware. Examples of the series are held in the permanent collections of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and the National Gallery of Victoria, confirming its significance within 1980s Postmodern design.

Dorothy Hafner (born 1952, Woodbridge, Connecticut) is an American ceramist and glass artist whose bold, postmodern geometric pattern language turned functional tableware into collectible design. After founding Art in Dining and creating lines for major firms (including Tiffany & Co.), she began collaborating with Rosenthal in 1982, becoming best known for the “Flash” dinnerware series - widely regarded as her signature porcelain work.

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.