Bitossi, unknown style name, 20.5cm and 30.5cm

If you are old enough to have visited South Florida in the 70s, there is a pretty good chance you saw pieces like this in the bungalow of a well-off retired couple. The plastic-y surface and gilt flowers seen here — as opposed to the granular surfaces and roughly carved designs found on most of Bitossi’s offerings in the late 60s/early 70s — connoted wealth and felt chic in an era characterized by new fabrics such as polyester and cutting-edge music such as disco. The vases here were made for Philadelphia-based Rosenthal-Netter, a company which (like Raymor) worked with head Bitossi designer Aldo Londi to craft pieces tailored to the American market. The synergy of that relationship is represented here, with Bitossi’s “Rimini Blue” and fine sgraffito work married to a high-gloss glaze and gold combo which practically screams “American!”