“Lamina Rot” Vase & Lidded Box – Hans Wohlrab & Helmut Drexler for Rosenthal, 1971

Striking porcelain duo in Rosenthal’s rare “Lamina Rot” finish, combining a sculptural vase form by Hans Wohlrab with Helmut Drexler’s expressive metallic red-and-gold décor. The pairing brings together strict German modernist form and richly layered surface treatment, a hallmark of Rosenthal Studio-Line’s more experimental early 1970s production.

• Dimensions:
  • Vase: H 18 cm, Dia. 9 cm, D 9 cm
  • Box: H 11 cm, W 8.5 cm, D 8.5 cm
• Material: Porcelain with metallic lamina glaze
• Brand: Rosenthal Studio-Line
• Designer: Hans Wohlrab & Helmut Drexler
• Color: Red, gold
• Condition: Very good vintage condition
  
• Era: 1971
  
• Origin: Germany
  
• Remarks: Set of two. Model of the Vase is 2698. 

A set for collectors and a very effective accent in the interior. It works especially well on a console, sideboard, or shelf. Particularly beautiful with dark wood, brass, smoked glass, or other warm-toned objects in 1970s-inspired, eclectic, or minimal spaces.

Helmut Drexler (1927–2016) was a German porcelain painter and designer who rose from apprentice at Rosenthal in Selb to master painter, then head of the decoration department. From the 1970s onwards he developed experimental surface treatments that transformed porcelain with complex metallic and marbled effects; Goldfeuer was one of his breakthrough décors, first shown at Rosenthal’s 8th Artists’ Days in 1985. By etching the glaze, applying gold in varying thicknesses and firing it under a marbling lacquer, Drexler achieved a controlled play of lilac tones and dense gold veins that has never been convincingly imitated, cementing his reputation as a technical and artistic innovator.

Hans Wohlrab (1911–1970) was a German designer whose porcelain forms for Rosenthal are known for their calm proportions and disciplined modernist clarity. Helmut Drexler (1927–2016) was one of the key artistic figures behind Rosenthal Studio-Line’s most experimental surface décors, developing metallic finishes that pushed porcelain beyond traditional ornament. Rosenthal Studio-Line, launched in 1961, became the company’s design-led line, known for collaborations with important international designers and artists.

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.