Ettore Sottsass, Jr. - Design London Tuesday, September 19, 2017 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Scarsella collection, Italy
    Thence by descent
    Acquired from the above by the present owner

  • Literature

    Fernanda Pivano, 'Ettore Sottsass, Ceramiche dal 1955 al 1970', Domus, no. 749, May 1993, p. 72
    Fulvio Ferrari, Ettore Sottsass Tutta la Ceramica, Turin, 1996, p. 166, fig. 749

  • Catalogue Essay

    Ettore Sottsass, Jr. was fascinated by the cultural significance of ceramics, their ancient history and daily domestic use. His wild and imaginative designs, free from the concern of technical realities, found a balancing counterpart in the pragmatic approach of Aldo Londi, the artistic director of the Bitossi ceramics factory. Together, Sottsass and Londi sought to create more than just passive ornaments but ceramics that would allow one to develop a more engaged relationship between the object and the artificial environment it is placed in. The group of ceramics offered here presents a myriad of textures, shapes, sizes, colours and reflects Sottsass’ desire to explore the infinite possibilities of modelling.
    For his Tantra and Yantra ceramics series (see lot 117), Sottsass drew inspiration from mystical diagrams of the Indian philosophy. The sharp-edged and compacted designs of the Ceramiche a Colaggio (see lot 115 and 116) contrast the flowing sequence of ripples in the Onde series (see lot 113). Ettore Sottsass, Jr. extended the limits of expression for future generations of architects and designers whilst creating some of the finest ceramics of the twentieth century.

113

Two vases, model no. 629, from the 'Onde' series

circa 1969
Glazed earthenware.
Each: 29.2 x 9.8 x 10.3 cm (11 1/2 x 3 7/8 x 4 in.)
Manufactured by Società Ceramica Toscana, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana for Galleria Il Sestante, Milan, Italy. Each underside signed with SOTTSASS/IL SESTANTE/629/ITALY.

Estimate
£5,000 - 7,000 

Sold for £6,250

Contact Specialist
Sofia Sayn-Wittgenstein
Specialist
+44 207 901 7926

Design

London Auction 20 September 2017