Vintage find/ Bitossi Cat

With a recent work trip to Chicago, In one of the antique malls while prepping for a shoot, I discovered a piece quite cheaply. I knew that it was probably part of the Bitossi ceramics range, of which I have a few pieces, It is a figurine of a cat, Although I have seen many cats like it, It is a silhouette I have not come across before. It’s a great piece and it now sits proudly with my other blue ceramic birds, a happy cat indeed!

Bitossi (now also known as Flavia) is an Italian ceramics company that has been producing ceramics since the 1920’s, It is still manufacturing today and available through their website.

Many of us would recognize the distinctive look of Bitossi largely with it “Rimini Blu” range in particular (Blue in color) that many of us grew up with by Aldo Londi, It has a very distinct 1960’s/ 70’s look, Often a little rough with a raw quality, their pieces have a very hand made feel. Guido Bitossi founded “Manifattura Cavaliere Bitossi e Figlia” (Manufacturer Sir Bitossi and Sons) in 1921 in Montelupo Fiorentino, an area of Florence. I have not been to the factory, but definitely plan to on my next trip.

Many famous artists have collaborated with Bitossi, A favorite of mine, Piero Fornasetti (Check out another post of his work on this site) Ettore Sottsass, known largely for helping to set up the “Memphis” movement of the 1980’s and Karim Rashid amongst others.

Thanks to Michele at Elephant Props www.elephantprops.com for allowing me to photograph some of her range, a fellow Bitossi admirer.

In these shots you can see a variety of shots including a George Nelson Side Drink Meridian Tables from the 1950’s, pieces as mentioned from Elephant and pieces from the website directly.

You can check out Bitossi’s website at www.bitossiceramiche.it, It is a great site with lots of images or The current catalog for "Bitossi By Flavia" is available at http://www.shopstyle.com/browse/Bitossi.

Ya gotta love it!

Well folks, Its that time of year again and love is in the air, For me Valentines came early when on a recent trip to Des Moines I found in a second hand store a lovely heart shaped vase by The Blenko Glass Company. Blenko is a well know brand founded by English born William J. Blenko in Kokomo, Indianan 1893. The company has had a long history in the U.S but it’s work that received critical acclaim occurred in the middle of the last century receiving the Museum of Modern Art’s Good Design Awards in 1950, thereby ensconcing Blenko as a leader in modern American glass through the 1950s and 1960s. Blenko's historic period began in 1946 up to 1974. Recently like many companies Blenko as a company has come into financial unsteadiness, lets hope they can find a way out of it, unlike the demise of other companies like Waterford Wedgwood. My piece is a later piece, I can tell by the cellophane label that only came out in later years.

It’s a strange thing but after finding the vase and with Valentines Day approaching, I have begun to see heart shapes everywhere and love for that matter, Ah how sweet love is! I was only wandering down 6th Ave the other day when I rediscovered the LOVE statue by American artist Robert Indiana The image was apparently originally designed as a Christmas card for the MoMA in 1964, and first exhibited as a sculpture in New York City in 1970. The LOVE design has been reproduced in a variety of formats. Likewise, the sculpture has been recreated in multiple versions and a variety of colors, every time I see it, it makes me happy!

On one of my fave websites www.purlbee.com an online journal of “Purl” (A NYC shop in Soho devoted to beautiful materials and tools for knitting, sewing, quilting, and other crafts), I spotted some cute felt pin cushion hearts. I love the way Purl Bee photograph their crafts in simple colorful compositions that even inspire someone like me who personally is not into crafting at all.

And then in that old fashioned way I still love called snail mail, I received the cutest wedding invite ever from my friend Nina Exharos, a very talented Interior Designer in Australia, check out her and Genevieve Hromas, her business partner’s website on www.imperialnesting.com and of course there was that heart again! To top it off today I opened my mail again to get a beautiful letterpress card from Elephant Props, Isn’t love a beautiful thing!

For a Hallmark holiday that celebrates a concept that few of us really understand. Love is a word that is certainly bandied around, but one things for certain for all us “love” means something different, typographically I love the way “love” looks, stylistically I like the many ways it can be applied as a symbol, nothing reads quicker than the shape of a heart, etched into a desk at high school or on a Moschino bottle of perfume!

Happy Valentines Day all you love sick fools!