A large and very heavy Italian vase with a deeply carved, all-over, geometric décor. . . .Possibly by Sardartis—or perhaps a company called Il Nuovo Rinascimento (The New Renaissance) who would have produced it for Sardartis. The relationship between the two firms remains unclear. A tiny fleabite on the rim was touched up with dark-blue permanent marker (see photo).

From the Italian pottery Facebook page: “Sardartis was a client of Bitossi based in Castelsardo, Sardinia. They fell out with Bitossi and started to order Bitossi lookalikes from other manufacturers. Over the years we have tentatively attributed lots of lookalikes to Sardartis. . . . The main theory as of now is that Nuovo Rinascimento produced them, and probably not exclusively for Sardartis. Another possibility is SIC - Scuola Italiana Ceramiche, Casale Monferrato.”

The sgraffito décor combined with the Persiano blue glaze represents a popular and prominent Italian studio-pottery design of the time, most famously seen in the Rimini series produced by Bitossi Ceramiche. The particular blue is said to be inspired by the waters of the Adriatic off the coast of Rimini in Italy.

DETAILS

Designer – UNKNOWN

Design Period/Year – 1960s

Maker – UNKNOWN

Production Period/Year – 1960s

Origin – ITALY

Styles/Movements – ITALIAN; ABSTRACT; MID-CENTURY MODERN

Materials – CERAMIC

Colors – BLUE, BLACK

Condition – Fleabite on the rim, otherwise in very good vintage condition. May show other minor traces of wear consistent with age and use.

Dimensions – 5 ½" DIAM. × 17" H