A raiding of the pantry

LLADRÓ, Waterford, Villeroy & Boch -- they're venerable companies whose names evoke images of fussy figurines, classic crystal and traditional china.

So then what's this? A teacup with a horse-leg handle? A goblet with Indian etchings? A soup bowl shaped like some modernist sculpture? Convention-defying surprises set the mood at Ambiente, the tabletop-heavy design show that ended Tuesday at the Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre. If the home furnishings exhibitions in Paris and Milan are known for showcasing the world's top designers in glamorous style, Ambiente is defined by its sheer size: 4,600 exhibitors and 145,000 attendees, making it the largest consumer goods show in the world. Whereas the crowds in Paris and Milan look to be inspired, the crowds in Frankfurt look to buy, sourcing the designs that soon will land in stores -- and homes.

The newsmakers this year: old purveyors of tabletop finery looking for ways to stay young. These companies have hired top designers to dig deep into the archives and build contemporary new designs around bits of the past.

Royal Copenhagen, which was founded in 1775 to serve the queen of Denmark, introduced Elements, its first new tableware set of the 21st century. The chrysanthemums that have been immortalized on dainty saucers for centuries are now sprinkled helter-skelter onto the edges of jugs, mugs and cheese boards. Danish designer Louise Campbell even called for a departure from the company's classic blue. In its place: tangerine, turquoise and midnight black.

"It's evolutionary, a reinvention within our cultural heritage," spokeswoman Fikriye Selen-Okatan said while standing underneath a chandelier made of the new line's broken plates. "It's more modern, more casual, younger."

Lladró of Spain, best known to many for its cherub figurines, has been the most radical in recycling its archives. For its Re-Cyclos series, designer Bodo Sperlein hunted around the factory and found a horse figurine to use as the basis for his new Ascot collection. A leg and hoof formed the handle for a teapot, cup and sugar bowl; he linked two together to form a napkin ring, and three horse heads served as the base of a large pedestal bowl.

The 127-year-old firm Rosenthal brought designer Patricia Urquiola onboard to tone down the florals and spotlight the luminescence of high-quality porcelain. With Landscape, she applied lace-like handles, soft patterns and graceful irregular borders to a pure white surface.