Bitossi "Seta" Vase by Aldo Londi, Mid-Century

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A striking mid-century Italian art pottery vase from Bitossi's celebrated Seta ("silk") series, so named for the finely incised sgraffito … Read more A striking mid-century Italian art pottery vase from Bitossi's celebrated Seta ("silk") series, so named for the finely incised sgraffito lines that lend the surface a woven, textile-like quality. The elegant cylindrical form rises from a flared pedestal foot and swells gently before tapering to a softly waisted neck. Bands of turquoise and richly applied gold alternate against a creamy white ground, with the interior finished in a glossy turquoise glaze and the rim edged in gold.

Founded in 1921 in Montelupo Fiorentino, a Tuscan town with a ceramics tradition dating back to the Renaissance, Bitossi became one of the most influential names in twentieth-century Italian pottery. Much of that reputation is owed to Aldo Londi, who joined as art director in 1946 and spent decades shaping the studio's output — including the Seta line, to which this piece is attributed. Londi's work paired ancient decorative motifs with a thoroughly modern sensibility, and Bitossi pieces were widely exported to the United States through importers such as Raymor and Rosenthal Netter, where they became mid-century design staples. They remain highly collectible today. See less