S.C.I. Laveno Tea Sets

Rare ceramic tea service for six in a very elegant light blue shade with decoration refined in pure gold, it was designed by Antonia Campi and manufactured by Laveno Ceramica in Verbano during the early 1950s. This set is composed of six (6) teacups, six (6) tea saucers, one (1) sugar bowl, one (1) teapot, and one (1) milk jug. Measurements: -Six cups 6 x 8 x 5.5 cm (each) -Sugar bowl 9 x 12 x 7 cm -Teapot 19 x 16, 5 x 9.5 cm -Milk Jug 11 x 12 x 7 cm. In 1856 Carlo Caspani, Alessandro Carnelli, and Severino Revelli, three employees of the Richard Ginori ceramics factory in Milano, set up the Società Ceramica C.C.R. making use of a disused building that had been a glass factory near the lakeshore. Production mainly consisted in fine earthenware and fire bricks. One of the key choices for the success of this initiative was an industrial-scale production of low-cost earthenware for domestic use. The manufacture of Laveno was gaining reputation; so that in 1869 part of its activity had to be moved to a new building called “Lago”. In 1883 it adopted a new denomination, Società Ceramica Italiana (with an S.C.I. trademark) that was to become famous. During this period, S.C.I. was led by bright managers: Tommaso Bossi and his successor Luciano Scotti, a graduate in engineering who led the company all the time from 1895 to 1956, raising it to its top level of capacity and production. In 1925 the Mulini plant was built in the Boesio area, where the blends and ''bodies'' were prepared. The Magazzini Generali (a warehouse), were also built and directly connected to the railway network. All the factory sites were interconnected by a “Decauville” railway for transporting materials. Also in 1925 the Verbano plant was built, following an agreement with the German Rosenthal company, for producing porcelain tableware and, later, ceramic insulators. The drive for innovation in production technologies, that took place during the Twenties, was accompanied by an equally intense artistic development. During the twenty's the architect Piero Portaluppi started collaborating with S.C.I. and thanks to Luciano Scotti’s foresight, young Guido Andlovitz, who had entered the company in 1923, was appointed art director in 1925, who introduced a renewal in the style of shapes and decorations, so that towards the end of the 1920s Ceramica di Laveno competed with Richard-Ginori, for the leading position in the ceramic art of Italy. Near the end of the 1930s, collaboration was started with Angelo Biancini, who created a new product line of artisan taste. In the late Forties, the young Antonia Campi joins the company as a decoration worker. Immediately, Guido Andlovitz notes her ability and potential qualities, and moves her into the artistic department. Starting with her 1948 first tiny vase...