Serpentina Porcelaine Noire Vase Duo - Marcello Morandini for Rosenthal, 1980s

Black porcelain vase duo with spiral banding and asymmetric openings. The repeated geometry gives both pieces a precise rhythm, while the matte and satin surfaces deepen the play of light, shadow, and contrast.

• Dimensions:
  
  • Taller vase: H 25 cm, Dia. 10.5 cm
    
  • Smaller vase: H 21 cm, Dia. 7.5 cm
    
• Material: Porcelain (branded "Porcelaine Noire")
  
• Brand: Rosenthal
• Designer: Marcello Morandini
  
• Color: Black
  
• Era: Postmodern, 1980s
  
• Origin: Germany
  
• Condition: Excellent vintage condition; no chips, cracks, or restorations. Minimal traces of age consistent with careful display.
  
• Remarks: Set of two; Serpentina series

This duo has a very controlled visual rhythm and works best where both heights can be read together. Place them on a long console, a pedestal pair, or a low black, stone, or pale lacquer surface where the silhouette stays clean and uninterrupted. The black porcelain brings a graphic postmodern edge, but the spiral structure keeps the set lively rather than severe. 

Marcello Morandini (born 1940 in Mantua) is an Italian architect, designer and artist whose work bridges Concrete Art and industrial design. Educated at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan, he is known for rigorously geometric compositions that use mathematical clarity, repetition and black-and-white contrast to create depth and optical rhythm. For Rosenthal, he has designed vases, objects, a chess set and even factory façades, making his contribution central to the brand’s late-20th-century visual identity.

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.