Mocha cup
Germany
ca. 1910 r.
Rosenthal Selb
model Donatello
decor. Alice
designed by Julius-Vilhelm Guldbrandsen, 1905.
dimensions: fil. h. 4 cm, dia. 6 cm, sp. dia. 11 cm
Decoration painted in underglaze.
The history of the Rosenthal manufactory dates back to 1879 when the young Philipp Rosenthal establishes a porcelain paint shop in the Castle of Erkersreuth (near Selb, Bavaria). The spectacular growth of the factory makes it not so much a manufactory as a place for the creative development of artists able to collaborate and design for it. New currents in the art and aesthetics of the first decades of the twentieth century are reflected in the details: ornaments, borders and ear finials.Rosenthal is one of the few manufactories to keep up with the rapidly emerging trends. The full expression of the aspirations of the founder of the manufactory is given by the establishment of the Art Department (Kunstabteilung) at the Rosenthal factory in Selb in 1910. Collaboration with well-known artists allows for even greater creative use of porcelain matter than before. During this time, the Donatello model seen above is created by the Head of the Art Department - Julius Vilhelm Guldbrandsen.
