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.
Bitossi Ceramic Table Lamps with Forest Green Glaze, 1970s Italy
By Bergboms, Bitossi
Located in New York, NY
Scandinavian modern pair of ceramic lamps with forest green glazed bands and a birch tree glaze application. Rewired for use in the USA with brass hardware. Uses 100W max bulbs. Bito...
Brass
Pair of enameled ceramic lamps Bitossi Italy 1970
By Bitossi
Located in PARIS, FR
Nice pair of ceramic lamps with gold details by Bitossi Italy circa 1970 Base height 37 cm
Enamel
$3,960 / set
H 31.11 in Dm 17.72 in
Gunvor Olin-Grönqvist Sizable Pair of Green Ceramic Table Lamps, Arabia 1960s
By Arabia, Gunvor Olin-Grönqvist
Located in Helsinki, FI
Pair of majestic table lamps designed by Gunvor Olin-Grönqvist for Arabia in the 1960s. The lamps are very big and distinct. Featuring a greenish ceramic leg and yellow fabric shades...
Ceramic
$2,400 / set
H 31.5 in Dm 7 in
Vintage Pair Mid-Century Modern Ceramic Glazed Green Table Lamps Newly Wired
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Wonderful vintage pair of Mid-Century Modern ceramic glazed table lamps. Variations of Green with some yellow. Newly wired with all new brass hardware, 3 way sockets, clear cord. Luc...
Brass
$3,536 / set
H 23.82 in Dm 11.82 in
Pair of Bitossi Ceramic Table Lamps with Green Glazed Spheres, Bergboms, 1960
By Aldo Londi, Bergboms, Bitossi
Located in The Hague, NL
This rare pair of table lamps was produced by Bitossi in Italy in the 1960s. The Swedish lighting firm Bergboms imported the ceramic Bitossi bases, assembled them into lamps, and ret...
Ceramic, Fabric
Pair of Italian Ceramic Table Lamps, 1960s
By Bergboms, Bitossi
Located in Stockholm, SE
Pair of ceramic table lamps produced in Italy during the 1960s. New lampshades. Measures: Height, including shade: 69 cm Diameter, shade: circa 40 cm
Ceramic
$3,500 / set
H 29.88 in Dm 8.5 in
Pair of Aldo Londi for Bitossi Green & Ochre Banded Pottery Table Lamps, 1950's
By Raymor, Bitossi, Aldo Londi
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Pair Aldo Londi for Bitossi Horizontally Glazed Art Pottery Table Lamps. Featuring textured glazed Cocoa & Terracotta Ceramic imprinted bottle forms, Brass plated necks, hand applied...
Brass
Pair of Vintage Ceramic Lamps in Lime and Cream
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Fabulous pair of large scale ceramic lamps complete with original lacquered shades, circa 1960's. Highly Decorative and..... Out of Sight ! Excellent Vintage Condition. The price l...
Ceramic
Pair of Mid-Century Style Green Glazed Ceramic Table Lamps
By Porta Romana
Located in Brescia, IT
The table lamp has a contemporary and elegant shape that reproduces the Italian Mid-Century style. This pair of stunning table lamps has been made in light green ceramic and has th...
Ceramic, Silk
Bitossi Style Ceramic & Fabric Table Lamps, Scandinavian Modern, 1960s
By Bitossi
Located in Charleston, SC
Cool ceramic lamps that appear to be wood at first glance. With very unique incised decoration, these are very much in the style of Bitossi. We have added new black shades, but woul...
Metal
20th Century Pair of Bitossi Table Lamps for Bergboms Golden Enameled Ceramics.
Located in Madrid, ES
Pair of table lamps Bitossi design for the company Bergboms, glazed ceramic in gold and silver. It is divided into three rings, the upper and lower ceramic form circles of striped te...
Enamel
20th Midcentury Spanish Whithe Porcelain Table Lamps
Located in Madrid, ES
A pair of Spanish table lamps, specifically porcelain from Manises (Valencia), with a boisterous decoration. in good condition and renewed ele...
Porcelain
20th Century Pair of Falkenbergs Brass Table Lamps Green Patent Leather Shades
By Falkenbergs Belysning
Located in Madrid, ES
Elegant pair of table lamps produced by Falkenbergs Belysning, Sweden, circa 1970s. The lamps feature sleek cylindrical polished brass bases with clean, architectural lines, paired w...
Brass
Mid Century Pair of Bergboms Table Lamps in Gold and Silver Ceramic.
By Bitossi
Located in Madrid, ES
A pair of table lamps from the Italian brand Bitossi, made of ceramic, a signature of Bitossi, with a bronze glaze in the center of one lamp and a more silver glaze in the center of ...
Metal
Pair of 20th Century Midcentury Desk Table Lamps
Located in Madrid, ES
Pair of desk or table lamps, manufactured in lacquered metal in his base and column in chromed metal. Shades in white.patent leather, silver inside.
Iron, Steel
Pair of Swedish Brass Table Lamps by Ewa Varnamo
By Ewå Värnamo
Located in Madrid, ES
A pair of 1960s table lamps, in solid brass, designed by Ewa Varnamo, with burlap shades.( shades lamps 30 cm x 20 cm x 20 cm)
Brass
