Scarce Rosenthal Baltic Demitasse Cup & Saucer — German Modernist Rarity

Espresso was never the mainstay of mid-century American dining — which may explain why these Rosenthal Baltic demitasse cups almost never appear.

Smaller than the flat coffee cups, more delicate than the full-footed tea cups, this 2″ × 2¼” demitasse form doesn’t appear in Replacements’ catalog for Baltic. It’s there in Classic Rose. It’s there in other Rosenthal lines. But in Baltic? Nothing. And in today’s global resale market, not one appears across eBay U.S., Canada, U.K., or even Germany.

That absence makes each surviving piece a collector’s treasure. Whether intended for espresso, mocha, or as a design-forward miniature, this form represents a side of Baltic few collectors have ever seen in person. Its scarcity isn’t just an accident — it may reflect limited German production that was never widely exported.

To hold one is to own a whisper of Rosenthal history: a porcelain shape that’s as much a mystery as it is a rarity.