Windmill Turquoise Porcelain Vase Duo – Jan van der Vaart for Rosenthal, 1988

Pair of turquoise-glazed porcelain vases from the “Windmill” series, designed in 1988 by Dutch ceramic artist Jan van der Vaart for Rosenthal Studio-Line. The contrasting forms reinterpret the divided planes and rotating sails of a windmill through the geometric principles of De Stijl, with projecting fins, curved walls and divided openings that change appearance from every angle.

• Dimensions:
  • Vase 1: H 19 cm, Dia. 15.5 cm
    
  • Vase 2: H 23 cm, Dia. 11 cm
• Material: Porcelain
  
• Brand: Rosenthal
  
• Designer: Jan van der Vaart
  
• Series: Windmill ("Windrad")
  
• Color: Turquoise
  
• Condition: Very good vintage condition with minimal signs of age and careful handling; no chips, cracks or restorations
  
• Era: 1988
  
• Origin: Germany
  
• Remarks: Two-piece set

The pair works particularly well on a console, sideboard or open shelf, where the different heights and changing profiles can be viewed together. Display the vases empty to emphasise their geometry or add a few individual stems to their divided openings; the turquoise glaze pairs especially well with pale wood, chrome, black lacquer and neutral interiors.

Rosenthal’s “Windmill” series includes vases, bowls, candleholders and lidded boxes in a distinctive turquoise-green and light blue glaze. Its divided circular forms suggest the rotating blades of a pinwheel and reflect Van der Vaart’s geometric, De Stijl-influenced approach. The Dutch ceramicist received the Emmy van Leersum Prize in 1988, and his work is represented in leading international museum collections.

Jan van der Vaart (1931–2000) was a leading Dutch ceramist, known for his strictly geometric, modular vessel forms and for elevating serial, cast pieces to collectible design. As professor at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam he shaped a generation of ceramic artists, and his works are held in major museum collections such as the Stedelijk Museum and Princessehof. 

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.