“Kaskade” Porcelaine Noire Vase – Martin Freyer for Rosenthal, 1970s

Matte black bisque porcelain vase designed by Hans Martin Freyer for Rosenthal Studio-Line, with an asymmetrical profile defined by flowing vertical ridges. The descending relief gives the “Kaskade” model its name and creates a changing pattern of light and shadow across the surface.

• Dimensions: H 24 cm, W 17 cm, D 9 cm
  
• Material: Porcelaine Noire, black bisque porcelain
  
• Brand: Rosenthal
  
• Designer: Hans Martin Freyer
  
• Model: Kaskade
  
• Color: Matte black
  
• Condition: Very good vintage condition with minor age-related traces. No chips, cracks or restorations.
  
• Era: 1970s
  
• Origin: Germany
  

Its narrow depth makes the vase particularly suitable for a console, mantel or open shelf. Display it unfilled near directional light to emphasise the cascading relief, or use it with a single branch or restrained ikebana arrangement.

Porcelaine Noire was one of Rosenthal Studio-Line’s most distinctive material developments. Its deep matte-black surface places the focus on form and relief, making pieces such as “Kaskade” especially appealing to collectors of Rosenthal, Op Art and postwar German design.

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. 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.