Press release -
Rosenthal celebrates 140 years: From porcelain pioneer to international design company
Rosenthal products are impressive thanks to their design, function, quality and advanced innovation. Experienced designers and trendy newcomers design avantgarde collections for the table and sophisticated interiors, as well as exclusive gifts and accessories. With exceptional craftsmanship, the company produces porcelain which is "Made in Germany". This year marks its 140th anniversary.
The product ranges of the Rosenthal, Rosenthal meets Versace, Hutschenreuther, Thomas and Arzberg brands – all of which are part of the Arcturus Group – are made in the company's factories in Selb and Speichersdorf. The production plants are two of the most cutting-edge in the global porcelain industry. They manufacture items sustainably and resource-effectively, thanks to future-oriented investments. In 1879, Philip Rosenthal laid the foundations for one of Germany's most successful design companies, when he set up a porcelain painting workshop in Erkersreuth Castle in Selb.
The vision of the "lifestyle manufacturer" with its own furniture line, which the founder's son Philip Rosenthal began promoting when he joined the company in 1950, is still reflected by Rosenthal’s contemporary interior and lifestyle collections. From porcelain, to furniture and architecture, the creative aspirations of Rosenthal go far beyond the classically set table. To date, around 1000 designers and artists, including Walter Gropius, Jasper Morrison, Patricia Urquiola, Bethan Laura Wood and Sebastian Herkner, have worked with the Selb-based company. Rosenthal’s outstanding products have already earned the company more than 500 design awards.
Design icons and evergreens
In its 140-year-history, Rosenthal has brought several classic and iconic designs to the market. These remain bestsellers. The crowning glory, the "Maria" range, was launched in 1916. It was named after the wife of Philip Rosenthal, the company founder. "Maria" is synonymous with porcelain history and fine dining. By 1939, the range included over 170 different items, from bone bowls to knife rests, to ornamental corks. 70 different pieces are still available today. Over 200 "Maria" designs have been created in almost 100 years. More than five million cups and 15 million plates have been sold in the past 25 years alone.
The "TAC" tea service, designed by Walter Gropius (1883 - 1969) has earned cult status. The work of the Bauhaus founder and visionary architect was unveiled in 1969. Rosenthal was already a customer of "The Architects Collaborative" (TAC) studio in Boston, which together with Gropius had planned the Rosenthal porcelain factory in Rothbühl.
The "Suomi" service, made by the Finnish designer Timo Sarpaneva, focusses on the essential. When creating his compact, organic design in 1976, Sarpaneva was inspired by the round, smooth pebbles on Finland's beaches. "Suomi" is Scandinavian purism for design enthusiasts – perfectly formed and effortless.
Jasper Morrison’s "Moon" collection impresses with its deliberately simple design and its smooth, clear design language. The noble material porcelain is used to its best advantage. "Moon" renounces gratuitous effects and exaggerated ornamentation. Each piece is reduced to a minimalistic design. From this purism grow enormous powers of persuasion. With "Moon", Jasper Morrison has created a modern classic.
Patricia Urquiola is one of the world’s best-known and sought-after designers. She has designed "Landscape" for Rosenthal, which meets the demands of pioneering product design, thanks to its design language and outstanding craftsmanship. After two years of development, and frequent communication between Patricia Urquiola and Rosenthal’s creative team and technicians, another creative milestone has been reached. Distinct three-dimensional patterns add an extra dimension to the porcelain range and underline its value.
Today, Rosenthal has foreign subsidiaries and distributors on five continents, and works in more than 100 countries. The company's customers come from both the private sector and the commercial sector – and from a wide range of industries including hotels, catering and aviation.
Topics
Rosenthal may have one of the longest traditions of Germany‘s companies, but is also one of the most modern. Just as we did when we were originally founded 140 years ago, Rosenthal develops products equally for discerning end customers and for exacting professional clients from the restaurant and hotel trade. Our products stand out with exceptional form, function, quality and craftsmanship and represent a cultural asset “made in Germany”, never ceasing to combine innovation and creativity. With its award-winning porcelain design, trendy lifestyle collections and modern, elegant classics, the Rosenthal brand raises the bar time and again for aesthetics and individuality.
Established figures from the worlds of architecture, design and art, but also the hottest newcomers and talents design avant-garde dinner table collections, foster a joy of giving and create sophisticated furnishings. The collections are manufactured in the Rosenthal porcelain factory in Selb and the “Thomas am Kulm” porcelain factory in Speichersdorf, which offer some of the porcelain industry‘s most advanced production facilities anywhere in the world and deliver sustainable manufacturing with careful use of resources thanks to the forward- looking investments that have been made.
New interior collections and accessories enrich the Rosenthal world by adding designer objects that go far beyond the limits of a conventional table setting and round off the huge product variety.
