“Tree of Life” Vase Duo – Rosemonde Nairac & Tapio Wirkkala for Rosenthal, 1970s

Black-and-white bisque porcelain duo from Rosenthal Studio-Linie’s “Tree of Life” series, with Rosemonde Nairac’s raised botanical relief on a Tapio Wirkkala shape. The calm matte surfaces and rhythmic pattern turn light and shadow into a quiet graphic play, with the taller black vase and lower white version forming a strong, yin–yang pairing.

• Dimensions:
  • White vase: H 22 cm, W 13 cm, D 6 cm
  • Black vase: H 26 cm, W 15 cm, D 6.5 cm
• Material: Bisque porcelain, matte
• Brand: Rosenthal
• Designer: Relief – Rosemonde Nairac; form – Tapio Wirkkala
• Color: White; black
• Condition: Excellent vintage condition; no chips, cracks or repairs, very slight signs of age only
• Era: 1970s (white vase was produced in 1990)
• Origin: Germany
• Remarks: Both bases with Rosenthal Studio-Linie marks

Made for a focused, graphic moment: place the pair at one end of a sideboard or console against a pale wall so the contrast really reads, with the taller black vase slightly behind and the white one pulled forward. Add just a few slim branches or dried stems – or leave them empty – and let the relief and black–white dialogue bring quiet drama to a minimal, Japandi or mid-century setting.

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.

Tapio Wirkkala (1915–1985) was one of the most important Finnish designers and sculptors of the 20th century and a major figure of post-war Nordic design. His work for Rosenthal – including the iconic crumpled paper bag vases and the geometric Polygon tableware for the Studio Line – uniquely combined Scandinavian minimalism with German porcelain craftsmanship and is still considered a milestone in the Rosenthal portfolio. Beyond Rosenthal, Wirkkala’s multidisciplinary designs in glass, wood, metal and porcelain for Iittala and others, defined Nordic design with their minimalist, functional yet highly expressive character and are now widely recognized as modern design classics in museum collections worldwide.

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.