Glossy Black Porcelain Duo – Jan van der Vaart & Platt & Young for Rosenthal, 1980s

Black porcelain vase duo by Jan van der Vaart and Platt & Young for Rosenthal, pairing a faceted, sharply cut form with a softer, more fluid silhouette. In glossy black porcelain, the two pieces create a clean monochrome composition built on contrast, outline, and reflected light.

• Dimensions:
  
  • van der Vaart Vase: H 21 cm, W 15 cm, D 6.5 cm
    
  • Platt & Young Vase: H 17 cm, W 15 cm, D 9 cm
• Material: Porcelain
  
• Brand: Rosenthal
  
• Designer: Jan van der Vaart; Platt & Young
  
• Color: Black
  
• Condition: Very good vintage condition; minimal age-related wear; no chips or cracks visible
  
• Era: 1980s
  
• Origin: Germany
  
• Remarks: Set of two

Use the Duo where they can catch a sharp side light—an entry console, a lacquered shelf, or a low pedestal works well. Pair them with matte surfaces like plaster, limewash, or travertine so the black glaze feels even deeper, and avoid placing them next to other glossy black objects.

Platt & Young, the London-based partnership of Robin Platt and Cairn Young, was founded in 1990 and is known for fluid, organic forms that bridge furniture, objects and tableware. Their designs for Rosenthal inspired the flexible “Free Spirit” and “A La Carte” dinnerware and décor ranges, where individual components can be combined into expressive table landscapes. Examples from the Free Spirit series are held in the Victoria and Albert Museum, underlining the collection’s design significance.

Jan van der Vaart (1931–2000) was a leading Dutch ceramist, known for his strictly geometric, modular vessel forms and for elevating serial, cast pieces to collectible design. As professor at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam he shaped a generation of ceramic artists, and his works are held in major museum collections such as the Stedelijk Museum and Princessehof. 

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.