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

Matte black bisque porcelain vase designed by Martin Freyer for Rosenthal Studio-Line, with a rounded profile covered in finely modelled vertical pleats. The continuous relief creates a rhythmic play of light and shadow, reflecting Freyer’s interest in texture, repetition and optical effects.

• Dimensions: H 27 cm, Dia. 23 cm
  
• Material: Porcelaine Noire, black bisque porcelain
  
• Brand: Rosenthal
  
• Designer: Martin Freyer
  
• Model: Plissée
  
• Color: Matte black
  
• Condition: Very good vintage condition with minor traces of age and careful use. No chips, cracks or restorations.
  
• Era: 1970s
  
• Origin: Germany
  

Its broad opening and rounded form make it versatile enough to use as a vase for ikebana, branches or a generous bunch of tulips. It could also serve as a decorative cachepot for a small houseplant, adding a strong black accent to a console, sideboard or deep shelf.

Porcelaine Noire was one of Rosenthal Studio-Line’s most distinctive material developments, valued for its deep matte-black surface and ability to emphasise form and relief. Pieces from the collection are sought by collectors of Rosenthal, Op Art and postwar European 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.