Like a Fellini movie, the ceramics of the famed Italian company Bitossi Ceramiche embody a creative spectrum that ranges from the playful and earthy to the high-minded and provocative. Based in Florence, Bitossi draws on craft traditions that date back to the 1500s. These find expression in Bitossi pottery that includes artisanal vintage vases and animal figures by the firm’s longtime art director Aldo Londi, as well as the colorful, totemic vessels designed by the high priest of postmodernism, Ettore Sottsass.
Bitossi was incorporated by Guido Bitossi in 1921, though the family began making art pottery in the mid-19th century. In the 1930s, Londi came aboard, bringing with him a mindset that respected time-honored craft, yet looked also to the future. On the one hand, Londi’s perspective fostered the making of Bitossi’s popular whimsical cats, owls, horses and other animal figures, hand-shaped and -carved and finished in a rich azure glaze known as “Rimini Blue.”
But with his other hand, Londi reached out to thoughtful, experimental designers such as Sottsass. After hiring Sottsass to design ceramics for his New York imports company, Raymor, American entrepreneur Irving Richards connected the Milanese design polymath to Londi, who introduced Sottsass to ceramics in the 1950s.
During that decade, some 20 years before he founded the Memphis postmodern design collective in Milan, Sottsass used the Bitossi kilns to create timeless works that manifest both primitive forms and modern geometries. In later decades, Bitossi would welcome new generations of designers, which have included such names as Ginevra Bocini and Karim Rashid.
While always looking forward, Bitossi is firm in their belief that mastery of craft is the first step towards beautiful design. As you will see from the works offered on these pages, that is a winning philosophy.
Find a collection of vintage Bitossi decorative objects, lighting and serveware on 1stDibs.
Aldo Londi Bitossi Striped Mid-Century Ceramic Ball Vase, Italy, 1960s
By Bitossi
Located in Vienna, AT
A beautiful spherical striped terracotta vase, designed by Aldo Londi, handcrafted from ceramic by the Italian manufacturer Bitossi Ceramiche in the 1960s. The vase features seven ho...
Ceramic, Pottery, Terracotta
Bitossi Italian Ceramic Vase with Geometric Stripes, Signed, Mid-Century
By Bitossi, Aldo Londi
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
Striking Italian ceramic vase by Bitossi, featuring a bold geometric striped decoration in white, black, yellow, and red. The elegant elongated form is articulated by rhythmic horizo...
Ceramic, Pottery
$796Sale Price|33% Off
H 11.5 in W 4.5 in D 4.5 in
Midcentury 1960 Rosenthal Netter Striped Ceramic Vase for Bitossi, Italy
By Bitossi, Rosenthal Netter
Located in San Diego, CA
Created by Bitossi’s creative director, Aldo Londi and distributed worldwide by Rosenthal Netter. Midcentury Italian art pottery vase b...
Ceramic
West German Mid-Century Ceramic Vase, Striped Glaze, Circa 1960s, 10
Located in Queens, NY
West German mid-century cylindrical ceramic vase with a gold, green, and blue horizontally striped glaze and faintly incised geometric banded pattern. (mark on bottom, WEST GERMANY 6...
Ceramic
$1,000
H 8.25 in W 5.5 in D 5.5 in
Vivika + Otto Heino Bulbous Striped Weed Pot Studio Pottery Vase Mid Century
By Otto and Vivika Heino
Located in Sarasota, FL
Lovely sized bulbous studio pottery vase by well known studio potters Otto and Vivika Heino. Signed to the underside Vivika and Otto. Excellent condition with no issues. 8 1/4" ...
Pottery
Gambone Mid-Century Italian Ceramic Vase in Striped Polychrome Glaze, 1960s
By Guido Gambone
Located in Minneapolis, MN
Here is a vibrant mid-century Italian ceramic vase by Gambone, executed in a richly saturated palette of layered glazes. The cylindrical form is enveloped in a luminous orange ground...
Ceramic
Aldo Londi Bitossi Raymor Ceramic Vase Orange Stripes Pottery Italy 1960s
By Raymor, Aldo Londi
Located in Munich, DE
Bitossi vase, ceramic, stripes, orange, yellow, white. Medium scale vase, with modernist form, glazed in orange, matte white, chartreuse yellow, mint green, and caramel stripes. A fi...
Ceramic
$836Sale Price|20% Off
H 9.85 in Dm 4.53 in
Mid-Century Moder Striped Ceramic Vase by Serra, Spain, 1960s
By Cerámica Serra, Josep Serra
Located in Barcelona, ES
Midcentury Green, White and Black Striped Ceramic Vase by Serra. A beautiful striped glazed ceramic vase Manufacured by Cerámicas Serra, Spain, 1960s Designed by Josep Serra. This colorful terracotta ceramic vase has stripes in green, black and shades of gray on a white background. Signed ' Serra' underneath. It can be placed alone used as decorative vase or flower vase but it would be nice also as a part of a collection of ceramic vase. Measures: 25 cm height x 11.5 cm diameter About Serra: Serra ceramics factory was a well known ceramics catalan manufacturer with three generations of ceramists. The workshop was founded by Antoni Serra one of the first ceramists in Spain who found an artistic ceramics workshop/studio. Josep Serra with his brothers Antoni and Enric followed his father in the art of ceramics at Can Famades, the new Studio at Cornellà, Barcelona. Josep Serra became the Manager at Cerámicas Serra at the 1930s. The Serra brothers participated in different exhibitions and awards. Jordi Serra...
Ceramic, Terracotta
Large Italian Striped Ceramic Vase in the manner of Aldo Londi
By Aldo Londi
Located in Winnipeg, MB
Large striped ceramic vase by unknown maker in the manner of Aldo Londi for Bitossi. This stunning piece features an undulating form with monochrome blue banding with a high gloss gl...
Ceramic
Aldo Londi Linea Series Ceramic Onion Shaped Vase for Bitossi Italy 1950s
By Aldo Londi, Bitossi
Located in Miami, FL
Great Mid Century Modern ceramic vessel from the Linea Series by Aldo Londi for Bitossi. This 50s vessel has the typical design of thin vertical stripes of black and light olive gre...
Ceramic, Pottery
Aldo Londi Bitossi Ceramic Vase, Ceramic, Multicolore, Stripes, Italy, 1960s
By Bitossi, Aldo Londi
Located in New York, NY
Aldo Londi Bitossi Ceramic Vase, Ceramic, Multicolore, Stripes, Italy, 1960s. Small spherical ball vase with graduated bands glazed in yellow, orange, red, brown, and black. Signed 8...
Ceramic
Bitossi Ball Vase by Aldo Londi, Multi-Colored, Ceramic, Italy, 1960s
By Aldo Londi, Bitossi
Located in New York, NY
Bitossi Ball Vase by Aldo Londi, Multi-Colored, Ceramic, Italy, 1960s. Chunky ball vase with glazed graduated bands of colors: yellow, orange, red, brown and black. Signed in the gla...
Ceramic
Aldo Londi for Bitossi Ceramic Ball Vase, Chartreuse Stripes, Label, Italy 1970s
By Bitossi
Located in New York, NY
Aldo Londi for Bitossi ball vase, Italy, 1970s. Medium scale spherical vase glazed in chartreuse green with three bands of dark earth tones at the neck and base. Retains original pap...
Ceramic
Aldo Londi Bitossi Ceramic Gourd Vase, Geometric Stripes, Signed, Italy, 1960s
By Bitossi, Aldo Londi
Located in New York, NY
Bitossi vase, ceramic, geometric, stripes, signed. Medium scale gourd form vase decorated with alternating vertical stripes, glazed in black, white, gray, yellow, and red. Signed on ...
Ceramic
Aldo Londi for Bitossi Ceramic Ball Vase, Purple Stripes, Signed, Italy 1970s
By Bitossi
Located in New York, NY
Aldo Londi for Bitossi ball vase, Italy, 1970s. Medium scale spherical vase glazed in lavender with tight hard-edge stripes in blue, turquoise, white...
Ceramic
Bitossi for Raymor Cambogia Vase, Ceramic, Striped Design, Italy, 1957
By Aldo Londi, Raymor, Bitossi
Located in New York, NY
Bitossi for Raymor Cambogia (Cambodia) vase, ceramic, blue, purple, white, stripes, signed. Tall cylinder vase with banded stripes glazed in violet,...
Ceramic
