Description

Rosenthal, Germany: Blue Romanze Line, Bjorn Wiinblad, Six Dessert Plates Rosenthal was established in 1884 by Philipp Rosenthal (1855). In 1891 he established the company's first factory in Asch, Bohemia and began production of white ware. Over subsequent decades he acquired further factories in Kronach, Selb, Waldenburg, Sopienthal, Waldershop and Marktredwitz. During the Nazi era, Philipp was forced into exile in 1935 due to his Jewish origins, even though he had converted to Catholicism. He died in exilb in 1937. At the time of his exile, the company employed more than 5,000 people. The company operated on a limited basis through the war under Nazi control, while Philipp Jr. fought with the Allied forces against Germany. He returned from exile at the end of the war in 1945 but only fully regained control of the company in 1950. Beginning in the 1950s, Philipp Jr. modernized the company, rebuilt factories and worked to re-establish lost markets. For the U.S. market, Rosenthal engaged Raymond Loewy to develop more contemporary tableware designs. He also hired some of the best artists of the time as designers, including Bjorn Wiinblad (Denmark), Tapio Wirkkala (Finland), Raymond Peynet (France), and Hans Theo Baumann (Germany). Rosenthal's collaboration with Wiinblad began in 1957. Bjørn Wiinblad (1918-2006) was a Danish painter, designer and artist in ceramics, silver, bronze, and textiles. Wiinblad was born in Copenhagen, attended a drawing school, and then studied painting and illustration at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (1940-43). In 1945, Wiinblad held the first public exhibition of his work, including ceramics, portraits and illustrations for children's books. In that context, he met Jacob E. Bang (elder brother of Arne Bang), who had just become Artistic Director at the Nymølle ceramics factory. That began a long-running collaboration for Wiinblad with Nymølle. Wiinblad executed fine drawing that were transfered to ceramics through copper engraving. In 1957, Wiinblad was discovered by Philip Rosenthal, which led to another long-running and successful design collaboration. Wiinblad became an important designer for Rosenthal. His most popular tableware design was Romanze (Romance). Starting in 1971, he also designed a series of commenorative Christmas plates for Rosenthal. This auction is for a set of six 5.75 Inch bread/dessert plates in the Blue Romanze Studio Line designed by the Dane Bjørn Wiinblad for the Rosental company (Germany). These bread/dessert plates measure 5.75 inches across and are in flawless condition. They are very well marked with the company's "Rosenthal Germany" mark. This line was manufactured after Wiinblad's association with Rosenthal in the late 1950s. These pieces probably date to the 1960s but show little/no sign of wear. I have other pieces in this pattern and coloration that I will also be listing in the coming week, so I would encourage you to check out those listings. Please see the photos for more details on condition and decoration. All shipping is by USPS insured Priority mail, and great care will be taken with packing these pieces. A flat rate shipping charge of $25 applies to this listing. Flat shipping rate applies only to U.S. buyers. International buyers will pay higher actual shipping costs and should inquire prior to bidding. About the seller: I have been collecting art pottery for more than 30 years. The bulk of my collection is Danish stoneware from the 1920s into the 1970s. The bulk of my Danish collection consists of Arne Bang, Saxbo, Jais Nielsen, Nils Thorsson, Erik Hjorth, and Ejvind Nielsen. I have done extensive research on these and other artists and workshops and would be happy to share that with interested buyers. My second largest collection consists of European tableware from the mid-late 19th century to pre-WWII 20th century, and encompass hand-painted (stick spatter), flow blue, and other transfer ware patterns. The patterns I collect are primarily from Holland (Maastricht), but also include English, Swedish, Belgian, Danish and German makers. In addition to stoneware and dinnerware, I have a modest collection of Danish Art Deco metalware from the workshop of Just Andersen. Over the coming months I will be listing a wide range of pieces from my collection, including a selection of metalwork by Just Andersen in light bronze, pewter, and Disko metal, as well as tableware from Dutch and English factories. Please check out my other listings and add me to your list of saved sellers to receive notification of new listings.