“Silhouette – Kelim” Vase & Box Trio – Rosemonde Nairac for Rosenthal, 1980s

Trio of “Silhouette” white porcelain vases and lidded box from the Kelim series, with pastel zigzag bands in pink, blue and apricot edged in gold, designed by Rosemonde Nairac in 1985. The precise, textile-like geometric décor wraps the flat, inverted U-shaped forms in a clean, postmodern graphic that sits effortlessly in contemporary interiors.

• Dimensions:
  • Large vase (Shape Nr. 3775/22): H 22 cm, W 13 cm, D 4 cm
  • Small vase (Shape Nr. 3774/14): H 15 cm, W 10,5 cm, D 4 cm
  • Lidded box (Shape Nr. 3774): H 12 cm, W 9 cm, D 3,5 cm
• Material: Glazed porcelain
• Brand: Rosenthal
• Designer: Rosemonde Nairac
• Color: White with pastel “Kelim” geometric pattern and gold outlines
• Condition: Very good vintage condition, light wear consistent with age
• Era: Design 1985; production 1986–1988
• Origin: Germany
• Remarks: Manufacturer’s title Silhouette, décor Kelim; designed 1985 and produced 1988.

Perfect as a graphic accent on sideboard, console or shelf.

Rosemonde Nairac (b. 1938, Mauritius) is a designer and ceramic artist trained at London’s Royal College of Art who became one of Rosenthal studio-line’s most distinctive décor authors from the late 1960s onward. Her work is characterised by finely calibrated, textile-like geometries in soft pastels and metallic highlights, developed in close dialogue with the underlying form rather than as mere surface ornament. For Rosenthal she created multiple service and giftware décors, including the Silhouette forms with the Kelim pattern (designed 1985), a series of inverted U-shaped vases and boxes in white porcelain with pastel zigzags and gold that were produced at Rosenthal’s Selb factory between 1986 and 1988 and are now represented in major design collections such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

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.