Rosenthal Piero Fornasetti Porcelain Plate, Themes and Variations, Buttons, Motiv 13

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Playful Repetition: Fornasetti "Tema e Variazioni" Plate, Buttons (Motiv 13)

An inventive and rare piece of mid-century design, this Piero … Read more Playful Repetition: Fornasetti "Tema e Variazioni" Plate, Buttons (Motiv 13)

An inventive and rare piece of mid-century design, this Piero Fornasetti porcelain plate belongs to the world-renowned Themes & Variations (Tema e Variazioni) series. Produced by the Rosenthal Factory in the 1980s, this specific piece, Motiv Number 13, is celebrated for its clever "Buttons" design.

Design and Visual Punning
The plate features a highly creative and humorous transformation of Fornasetti's muse, the opera singer Lina Cavalieri. Her face is not depicted centrally, but rather multiplied into a row of buttons adorning what appears to be a military-style jacket. The black-and-white graphic uses trompe l'oeil to suggest the texture of fabric and the reflective quality of the buttons, each containing Cavalieri's iconic features.

This motif perfectly encapsulates the intellectual and whimsical nature of the Tema e Variazioni series. Fornasetti treated Cavalieri's face—which he considered an "archetype" of classical beauty—as a graphic template, stating he "began to make them and I never stopped." Here, the face is reduced to a repeating, functional, and decorative element, playfully commenting on fashion, repetition, and the omnipresence of the muse.

Historical Context and Provenance
This plate is a highly collectible product from the 1980s collaboration between the Fornasetti studio and Rosenthal, Germany. This partnership was critical in re-popularizing Fornasetti's graphic legacy after his passing, applying his intricate designs to high-quality Rosenthal porcelain blanks.

Its distinguished history is further highlighted by its Provenance: The Iris Apfel Collection. Apfel, known for her maximalist style and keen eye for unique, narrative-driven design, frequently incorporated Fornasetti pieces into her celebrated interiors, recognizing their unique cultural and aesthetic value.

Dimensions: Diameter: 9 1/4 inches × 1 inch high (23.50cm diameter).

Marking: The reverse is clearly marked in black and white: Rosenthal/Germany over the central Fornasetti hand and paint brush logo, followed by Decor:/Temi e variazioni/ Motiv 13.

Reference Notes
Catalogue Raisonné: The underlying creative philosophy of continuous exploration and variation is detailed in: Mauries, Patrick, Fornasetti: Designer of Dreams (Thames and Hudson, 1991, or similar edition).

Citation: Mauries writes: "For Fornasetti, a single product never exhausted the possibilities of an idea. He loved to let his imagination roam, finding more and more layers of meaning and association in the process. Much of his work, therefore, takes the form of variations on a theme." (Page 192).

Motif Origin: The entire series is founded on the face of operatic soprano Lina Cavalieri, who served as Fornasetti's graphic template for over 500 variations.

Production: The markings confirm the 1980s Rosenthal Factory production, distinguishing it as a piece from the key period of the Fornasetti brand revival.

Provenance: This plate was part of The Iris Apfel Collection, adding significant historical and aesthetic value.

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