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KPM Berlin Modernist Design Trude Petri & Quillmann Curated Vase Duo 1960s
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Berlin, GermanyOn Whoppah since August 2023 • 23 sales
Product description
Curated Duo of Modernist Porcelain Vases
KPM Berlin, Germany
Trude Petri & Konrad Quillmann
1950s–late 1960s
Manufacturer: KPM Berlin
Designers: Trude Petri and Konrad Quillmann
Material: Hard-paste porcelain with cobalt blue underglaze
Marks: Underglaze blue sceptre marks of KPM Berlin; Reichsapfel mark indicating Scharffeuerfarben (high-fired colors)
Condition: Very good vintage condition; no chips, cracks, or restorations. Minor signs of age consistent with careful use.
Description
This thoughtfully curated duo brings together two distinct yet complementary expressions of KPM Berlin’s modernist porcelain design, spanning two generations of designers and two moments within post-war German design culture.
The taller bottle-shaped vase represents the classical modernism of Trude Petri, KPM’s most influential designer of the mid-20th century. Its four-sided baluster form is calm, axial, and architecturally disciplined—an embodiment of Petri’s philosophy of proportion, restraint, and timeless vessel logic. Executed in white porcelain and marked with the underglaze blue sceptre, the vase reflects KPM’s commitment to continuity and formal clarity in the decades following the Second World War.
In contrast, the smaller “Kleine Brückenvase”, designed in 1968 by Konrad Quillmann, marks a decisive shift toward late-1960s sculptural modernism. Quillmann, trained as a sculptor and appointed designer at KPM in 1967, introduced a radically architectural vocabulary to porcelain. The bridge-like form with its narrow square opening rejects rotational symmetry in favor of frontality and spatial tension. The opposing cobalt blue glaze fields—executed as high-fired Scharffeuerfarben—function structurally rather than decoratively. The blue décor is attributed to Luise-Charlotte Koch, who developed several cobalt blue designs for KPM during this period.
Presented together, the two vases form a curatorial dialogue:
Petri’s vessel stands for continuity, proportion, and modern classicism, while Quillmann’s design embodies rupture, experimentation, and the sculptural ambitions of the late 1960s. United by KPM’s exceptional porcelain craftsmanship and its intellectual approach to form and color, the pair offers a concise overview of the manufactory’s modernist evolution.
Details
Vase 1 (Tall bottle form)
– Design attributed to Trude Petri
– Mid-20th century
– Height approx. 24 cm; diameter approx. 14 cm
Vase 2 (Kleine Brückenvase)
– Design by Konrad Quillmann, 1968
– Décor attributed to Luise-Charlotte Koch, circa 1969
– Height approx. 13 cm; width approx. 14 cm; depth approx. 4.2 cm
– Model introduced as part of Quillmann’s first design group for KPM (Modellbuch no. 20001)
Curatorial Note
This duo is not a matching set but an intentional pairing—illustrating two positions within KPM Berlin’s modernism:
the disciplined continuity of Trude Petri and the sculptural innovation of Konrad Quillmann.
Together, they exemplify porcelain as architectural thought rather than mere decoration.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Please explore my profile for more curated West German porcelain, Rosenthal Studio-Line pieces, and rare modernist vases.
International buyers are welcome. For shipping outside the EU, please contact me in advance for exact costs. Import duties or taxes, if applicable, are the buyer’s responsibility.
All items are carefully described and photographed. Vintage objects may show light signs of age; any significant flaws are always clearly stated.
Combined shipping may be possible—please inquire before purchase.
Private sale under German law: no returns, refunds, or warranties. Buyer information is used solely to complete the transaction and arrange shipment.
Specifications
ConditionVery goodColorsBlue, WhiteMaterialPorcelainNumber of items2Height24 cmWidth14 cmDepth14 cm
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Seller information
About this seller
Berlin, GermanyOn Whoppah since August 2023 • 23 sales