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.
$515 / item
Blue bottle Vase by Aldo Londi
By Bitossi
Located in Milan, IT
This Blue ceramic vase features a refined bottle-shaped silhouette from the Rimini Blue series. It is crafted on a pottery wheel using refractory white clay and decorated with hand-p...
Ceramic
$1,460Sale Price|20% Off
Bitossi Aldo Londi Blue Ceramic Large Bottle Vase with Circles & Rhombus Motif
By Aldo Londi, Bitossi
Located in Barcelona, ES
Aldo Londi for Bitossi Rimini Blu geometric motif blue ceramic large vase. Unusual design, Italy, 1960s This stunning glazed ceramic vase has a pattern with circles in dark blue with rhombus inside in shades of green. Excellent vintage condition. This piece is perfect as a gift idea and it could placed alone or with other Bitossi pieces creating a set. Display it in a cabinet or on a console table, with flowers or just as are decorative cool vase...
Ceramic
Orange Incised Ceramic Bitossi Pitcher, Italy 1960's
By Bitossi
Located in New York, NY
An unusual pitcher by Bitossi with deep relief motifs carved all around its surface, it has thick walls and is a sturdy piece of Italian ceramic.
Enamel
$350Sale Price|30% Off
Mid-Century Modern Hand-Painted Italian Ceramic Oil Bottle by Bitossi
By Bitossi
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
Italian ceramic oil bottle by Bitossi 1960s. Colourful hand painted oil container beautiful piece to have on table. Signature and numbers on the bottom.
Ceramic
Pale Blue Vase by Bethan Laura Wood
By Bitossi
Located in Milan, IT
This striking pale blue vase, designed by Bethan Laura Wood in 2016 is in white clay with a delicate pale blue finish and features a large cylindrical body decorated with geometric c...
Ceramic
Medium Tribe Vase by Arik Levy George for Bitossi, 2007
By Arik Levy, Bitossi
Located in Chicago, IL
Medium Tribe Vase by Arik Levy George for Bitossi, 2007 Unglazed White exterior with inside yellow interior The sharp contrast between textures and colors captures the trademark aest...
Ceramic
Mid-Century Modern Bitossi Italian Ceramic Water Jug, 1960s
By Bitossi
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
Italian orange ceramic water jar by Bitossi 1960s. Glazed technique used by Aldo Londi, serial number and signature on the bottom of the jar.
Ceramic
Mid Century Modern Vase or Planter by Bitossi Italy
By Bitossi
Located in Waddinxveen, ZH
A Mid-Century Modern Bistossi ceramic vase/planter with a stylized crossword design of squiggly lines with block squares in red, yellow, gray blue and black on a white glazed soft te...
Ceramic
Large Rimini Blu Aldo Londi for Bitossi Vase
By Aldo Londi, Bitossi
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautiful glaze an excellent condition on this large Bitossi vase circa 1980's .
Ceramic
Bitossi Mid-Century Modern Vase, Ceramic, White and Brown, Italy, 1966
By Bitossi
Located in New York, NY
Bitossi vase, ceramic, white and brown, signed. Medium scale cylinder vase with white glaze and raw matte brown clay collar. Signed on the underside: "403C Italy". Minute scuff to th...
Ceramic
Two Aldo Londi for Bitossi Vases Blue Rimini Collection
By Bitossi
Located in Antwerp, BE
These magnificent vases are designed by Bitossi's artistic director Aldo Londi in 1953. The sinuous shape of these white clay pieces, finished with a vivid turquoise color, are decor...
Ceramic
Bitossi Mid-Century Modern Ceramic Ball Vase, Metallic Gold, Italy, 1970s
By Bitossi
Located in New York, NY
Bitossi Mid-Century Modern Ceramic Ball Vase, Metallic Gold, Italy, 1970s. Small scale spherical vase with flared lip, short neck, and rounded body -glazed in metallic gold over poro...
Ceramic
Aldo Londi for Bitossi Large Vase
By Bitossi, Aldo Londi
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
Stunning large vase designed by Aldo Londi for Bitossi, features a seta design in rare "Lobster" colors. Measures: 16” tall 5” wide.
Ceramic
$396Sale Price|20% Off
H 14 in Dm 5 in
Mid-Century Modern Bitossi Ceramic Vase by Aldo Londi, Italy, 1950s
By Aldo Londi, Bitossi
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Modern in the Tradition of Good Taste" Large scale Raymor Bitossi Vase by Aldo Londi Yellow and Green Signed on underside: Italy 4675 Retains partial original Raymor paper la...
Pottery, Ceramic, Clay
$937Sale Price|20% Off
H 6.11 in Dm 3.55 in
Bitossi Aldo Londi Rimini Blue Ceramic Vase, Mid-Century Modern, Italy 1960
By Aldo Londi, Bitossi
Located in Barcelona, ES
'Rimini blu' glazed ceramic vase designed by Aldo Londi for by Bitossi. Italy, 1960s. This eye-catching vase is made of blue glazed ceramic with engraved patterns surrounding the cen...
Ceramic, Pottery, Terracotta
Venini Monofiori Amethyst Glass Vase by Laura de Santillana
By Venini, Laura de Santillana
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Monofiori glass vase in amethyst by Laura de Santillana. “Monofiori” blown handmade glass with stoppers in various forms and colors. Item lab...
Blown Glass
Venini Monofiore Sapphire Blue Glass Vase by Laura de Santillana
By Venini, Laura de Santillana
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Venini Monofiori glass vase in sapphire by Laura de Santillana. “Monofiori” blown handmade glass with stoppers in various forms and colors. Item lab...
Blown Glass
Large Bitossi Ceramic Vase by Aldo Londi
By Bitossi, Aldo Londi
Located in Chicago, IL
Bitossi ceramic vase by Aldo Londi.
Ceramic
A Rose Bitossi Ceramic Vase by Aldo Londi
By Aldo Londi, Bitossi
Located in Chicago, IL
Beautiful Rose color Bitossi ceramic vase by Aldo Londi. A fairly rare color to come across.
Ceramic
1960s Seta Ceramic Stoppered Bottle Decanter by Aldo Londi for Bitossi Italy
By Bitossi, Aldo Londi
Located in Minneapolis, MN
Here is a very decorative and striking stopped bottle from the Seta series designed by Aldo Londi for Bitossi of Italy. The bottle features an incised design in shades of brown and g...
Ceramic
Vintage Mid Century Bitossi Rosenthal Netter Circle Vase
By Bitossi, Rosenthal Netter
Located in San Diego, CA
Incredibly iconic piece of pottery. The allure of this piece transports you to the Italian coast decades past. This beautiful vase is sculptural and unique.The vase features a circl...
Ceramic
Flawless Bitossi Decanter of the Seta Series by Aldo Londi
By Bitossi, Aldo Londi
Located in South Charleston, WV
Flawless condition. Measures: 15.5" tall, 4.5" diameter. Aldo Londi for the Seta Series produced late 1950s and early 1960s. This model 95/700 O.B. Italy is likely produced in 1959. ...
Ceramic
1960s Aldo Londi for Bitossi Green and Gold Vase
By Bitossi, Aldo Londi
Located in Naples, IT
This magnificent vase was designed by the artistic director of Bitossi Aldo Londi. hand-turned in refractory white earth. Decoration made with manual stencil engraving with differ...
Ceramic
Bottle and Two Bookends, Londi for Bitossi, 1950s
By Bitossi
Located in Roma, IT
A bottle and two bookends are a unique decorative object realized by the Italian ceramist Aldo Londi (1911-2003) for Bitossi during the 1950s. Beautiful and richly colored set com...
Terracotta
Sold
H 15 in Dm 4.5 in
Ceramic Bottle with Stopper by Aldo Londi for Bitossi Seta with Gold, Midcentury
By Aldo Londi, Bitossi
Located in Topeka, KS
Fabulous example of Aldo Londi’s Seta with gold pattern and glaze in this bottle with stopper for Bitossi Ceremiche of Italy. It is in wonderful vintag...
Ceramic
Midcentury Italian Ceramic Vessels by Ettore Sottsass for Bitossi, Set of Two
By Bitossi, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Atlanta, GA
A very rare carafe and bud vase in sharply contrasting colors and textures, designed by Ettore Sottsass for Bitossi in the 1950s, but not produced until the 1960s due to reputed tech...
Ceramic