A 1960s Italian Bitossi ‘Liberty’ large lidded jar, designed by Aldo Londi

Description

The names of Bitossi and their designer Aldo Londi are synonymous with mid-century modern Italian ceramics. Joining in 1946, and retiring in 1976, he produced thousands of designs that were sold across the world. Although ‘Rimini Blu’ (1960) is his best–known, ‘Liberty’ is not far behind it.

Designed in 1957 and produced until 1969, it is typical of Londi’s plundering of multiple sources to produce an innovative design focusing on texture, history, pattern, and colour. Here, the paisley designs picked out in green and brown against an ochre ground were inspired by imported Persian and Indian fabrics. The form is derived from traditional Indian and Italian ceramics.

Large pieces such as this, with its fitted lid, are scarce today as they were more expensive in their day, so fewer sold. This example is entirely unmarked (which is not unusual for Bitossi of this period) but retains its paper label for Rosenthal–Netter, one of the largest importers and distributors in the US, indicating it was produced for the American market.  

46.5cm high

Literature
Alla Moda: Italian Ceramics of the 1950s-70s, by Mark Hill, published by Mark Hill Publishing Ltd in 2012, page 58.

Buongiorno Maestro! by Gino Turchi, Elisabetta Daini, published by Edizioni ETS in 2007, for more on Aldo Londi.

Condition
In excellent vintage condition with no cracks or chips. There are a couple of small glaze flakes around the basal area, but this is to be expected on Italian ceramics of this period due to the types of materials used and the functional nature and age of a piece.

Shipping
Postage and packing is free within the UK. If you live outside the UK, please contact me to obtain a shipping quote. I pack and ship at cost, and do not make any money from this service. Items are sent via Royal Mail signed and tracked services, but I am happy to use another service at your request.