A few weeks ago, I met up with a seller at my favorite flea market. She is a self proclaimed nomad and travels around the country in her oversized van, purchasing things as she goes and selling things whenever she sets up at a vintage flea market. She even sells online during her travels. I spotted her Bitossi vase about three tables away and went to get a better look at it. It was marvelous. I turned it over to see if it was truly Bitossi or whatever, and found a label I had never seen before, which was “Created in Italy for Rosenthal Netter Inc.”
I did purchase that beautiful vase because it will look awesome in my shop. But I wanted to get more information about Rosenthal Netter. I am a big fan of the Rosenthal porcelain company in Germany and I was thinking there must be some kind of connection. I started doing research, looking for a rabbit hole I could dive down.
Alas, there was very very little about this company other than which was founded in 1959 and was primarily a US based importer of Italian pottery that also imported items from other countries later on. It seems to fall off the face of the earth around 1980. I am a bit disappointed in my lack of information, however I still had inspiration! I will show you some of the pieces they imported, only the ones with the labels, so you can enjoy them along with me. I imagine this company would have sold these items to department stores, providing some beautiful home decor in the 1960s and 1970s.
When searching online for Rosenthal Netter, you will come across mostly Italian made pottery which includes Bitossi items and Aldo Londi designs. Keep looking and you will discover woven baskets, glass and metal pieces from Japan, India and Taiwan, all with the original foil Rosenthal Netter label. So let’s go exploring…
Rosenthal Netter Fascie Colorate Green Vase
This vibrant green vase is designed by Aldo Londi for Bitossi and is available in IrwinStMercantile on Etsy for $48
Rosenthal Netter Raffia Weaved Basket 
This MCM lidded green raffia basket was made in Italy. FlowerPowerVintage has it for $89 on Etsy for you basket lovers.
Rosenthal Netter Candle Holders
These dramatic candle holders will light up the dinner table and are also from Italy. They are in TimelessU shop for $129 on Etsy
Rosenthal Netter Floral Brass Bowl
Imported brass floral bowl, made in India and available for $36 on Etsy from the shop CreosoteRain.
Rosenthal Netter Japanese Porcelain Figurine
The company imported porcelain from Japan. This elegant musician was found on Etsy at the shopEclecticPaperPenguin and it’s priced at $50.
Rosenthal Netter Pottery Tiles on Wood
Speaking of serene, I like the color and design in this tile trivet imported from Taiwan. DavidsonVintage has it available in their Etsy shop for $22.
So you can see there are different materials and countries represented in the imports selected by Rosenthal Netter.
There was another US company that imported home decor items called Raymor, that has much more information available online. I actually wrote to the author of the history of Raymor, Mark Hill who hopes you will enjoy his post . He has also written about Italian pottery from the 1950s through the 1970s, Alla Moda, and a book on Fat Lava.
7 comments
Help..I have a yellow bowl with a white top,both have tiny indentations on them. It also has a brown ring around the top of the bowl. Thank you for any info you may have.
Hello, I’m going down the rabbit hole with you. Are you saying Rosenthal is Bitossi? Sp.
Thanks,
Lisa
Thanks for your question, Lisa. Rosenthal Netter sold a variety of pottery and such. Think of them as importers who contracted with other pottery makers to get their inventory. They are proud to put on the pottery name label as well as their own. This is very common with decor and design importers.
Hope that helps.
Yes, they were importers and sold to department stores and such. I worked for them towards the end of their tenure in 1985.
Dana, thank you for reading and replying to this post. I’m glad somebody who worked there had seen it. I just love the variety of the designs and designers that the company was able to bring together. Because there was so much variety they must’ve done very well for themselves.I’m sorry it closed. If there was a store I would definitely go to the store, but I realize it’s a different kind of business. Mary Ellen
this is interesting – thanks for the article. I found a Rosenthal Netter basket and have gone the rabbit hole for more info…
I cannot tell you much, but I will share this. Rosenthal-Netter was, when I knew it, owned by Alvin Rosenthal (my granduncle) and Henry Netter. They had a large warehouse in Philadelphia and a showroom in New York. Alvin was also a partner in The Little Traveler in Geneva, IL, and owned the Paper Tree (I think I have the name right) in Pompano Beach, Florida. He traveled the world to source imports–China, Japan, Italy, France, the UK, and more.