Rosenthal - HAP Grieshaber & Ambrogio Pozzi - Vase - Artist Edition: “Pastorale” on the Form “Duo” - Porcelain - Folklore meets Minimalism

HAP Grieshaber for Rosenthal Studio Line – “Pastorale” on the Form “Duo” by Ambrogio Pozzi

Germany, 1970s | Artist Edition | White Porcelain with Black Graphic Decor & Satin-Silver Base

A striking example from Rosenthal’s celebrated *Künstler-Sammel-Serie*, this vase unites two artistic heavyweights: HAP Grieshaber, the revolutionary German woodcut artist, and Ambrogio Pozzi, the Italian master of minimalist industrial design. Together, they created one of the most charismatic hybrids of Rosenthal’s Studio Line era — a sculptural vessel where German Expressionist graphics meet Italian rational elegance.

Design & Artwork

The cylindrical porcelain body carries Grieshaber’s “Pastorale” motif — a rhythmic, black-on-white woodcut composition of birds, foliage, and stylized figures that embodies his lifelong devotion to nature, folklore, and humanist ethics. Grieshaber’s line work is unmistakable: sharp, democratic, and deeply rooted in the revival of the woodcut as a medium of resistance after 1945.

The form itself — “Duo”, designed by Ambrogio Pozzi in the late 1960s — is one of Rosenthal’s most enduring shapes: serene, architectural, and subtly modernist. Its hallmark is the contrasting silver-toned metal foot, giving the piece a floating, almost object-d’art presence. Few collaborations embody Rosenthal’s golden age of cross-disciplinary design as clearly as this one.

About the Artists

HAP Grieshaber (1909–1981) stands as one of the defining figures of postwar German graphic art. His monumental woodcuts, often politically charged, reintroduced the medium as a moral and artistic tool. Throughout the 1960s–70s, his visual language permeated European exhibitions, and his works today are present in major museum collections, from the Städtische Galerie Stuttgart to the Berlin Kupferstichkabinett.

Ambrogio Pozzi (1931–2012), an influential Italian designer, sculptor, and ceramist, created for Rosenthal some of the most refined forms of the Studio Line era. His vessels, defined by clarity and proportion, are held in numerous European museum collections (including Triennale Milano). The “Duo” shape remains one of his iconic contributions to Rosenthal’s international aesthetic.

Details

* **Manufacturer:** Rosenthal Studio Line
* **Artist:** HAP Grieshaber
* **Form:** *Duo* (by Ambrogio Pozzi)
* **Series:** Künstler-Sammel-Serie — *Pastorale*
* **Material:** Porcelain with black graphic decor; satin-silver metal base
* **Color:** White / Black / Silver
* **Height:** 22 cm
* **Diameter:** 8.5 cm
* **Markings:** Full Rosenthal Studio Line stamp; edition label on base
* **Condition:** Excellent vintage condition. No chips, cracks, or repairs; minimal age-appropriate surface traces on the metal foot only.

Collector’s Note

Pieces from the Grieshaber–Pozzi collaboration have become increasingly sought after by collectors of German postwar art and Rosenthal’s artist editions. This vase is both decorative and historically resonant — a fusion of two visual cultures and two artistic traditions. Perfect for connoisseurs of graphic art, Studio Line design, or the lively 1970s dialogue between craft, industry, and political aesthetics.