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Post-Modern Sculptural Ceramic Vase Duo Roberto Rigon Bertoncello Italy 70s–80s
€540Bid from €490
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Berlin, GermanyOn Whoppah since August 2023 • 20 sales
Product description
Sculptural Ceramic Vase Duo by Roberto Rigon for Bertoncello, Italy (1970s–1980s)
This striking duo of sculptural ceramic vases was designed by Roberto Rigon for Bertoncello Ceramiche d’Arte, one of the most innovative Italian ceramic manufactories of the postwar period. Executed in bold, saturated glazes—one in a vivid glossy red, the other in a cool, textured blue—these works exemplify the radical formal experimentation that defined Italian studio-industrial ceramics from the late 1960s onward.
Artist Context – Roberto Rigon
Roberto Rigon was among the key designers collaborating with Bertoncello during its most experimental decades. His work is characterized by an architectural understanding of volume, negative space, and balance. Rather than treating the vase as a purely functional container, Rigon approached it as an autonomous sculptural object—often hovering between design, abstract sculpture, and spatial study. His forms reference circles, voids, and cut volumes, aligning his work with broader currents in European post-modernism and Italian radical design.
Manufacture Context – Bertoncello Ceramiche d’Arte
Founded in Nove, near Bassano del Grappa, Bertoncello gained international recognition in the 1960s–80s for its collaborations with forward-thinking designers and artists. The manufactory became known for pushing ceramic production beyond decorative tradition into the realm of collectible design objects—often producing limited or semi-limited series that blurred the line between studio ceramics and industrial manufacture. Today, Bertoncello pieces are increasingly sought after by collectors of Italian postwar and postmodern design.
Design & Style
The red spherical vase (model no. 853) presents a near-perfect orb disrupted by a decisive sculptural incision—an intervention that transforms symmetry into tension. The blue piece, with its circular void and vertical neck, reads almost as a ceramic “drawing in space,” echoing architectural fragments or abstract signage. Together, the duo stages a dialogue between mass and emptiness, gloss and texture, warmth and cool restraint.
Stylistically, these works sit at the intersection of Italian Post-Modernism, Radical Design, and Sculptural Studio Ceramics, making them equally compelling as standalone art objects or as a carefully curated pair.
Item Details
Red Vase
– Manufactory: Bertoncello, Italy
– Designer: Roberto Rigon
– Material: Glazed ceramic
– Color: Red
– Finish: Glossy
– Model number: 853
– Height: approx. 17 cm
– Diameter: approx. 17.5 cm
Blue Vase
– Manufactory: Bertoncello, Italy
– Designer: Roberto Rigon
– Material: Glazed ceramic
– Color: Blue
– Finish: Glossy with textured glaze
– Model number: 884
– Height: approx. 21.5 cm
– Width: approx. 24 cm
– Depth: approx. 7.5 cm
Condition
Very good vintage condition. No cracks or repairs. Minor traces of age consistent with period and use, visible mainly on the base.
Why This Duo Matters
This pair represents an important chapter in Italian ceramic design, when manufactories like Bertoncello actively collaborated with designers to rethink the object itself. These vases are not decorative afterthoughts but confident sculptural statements—objects that speak fluently to collectors of postwar Italian design, contemporary ceramics, and radical modernism alike.
General Information
International shipping available with secure, professional packaging.
Import duties or taxes, if applicable, are the buyer’s responsibility.
All items are photographed and described with care. Vintage items may show minimal traces of age; any significant flaws will be clearly mentioned.
Private sale under German law: no returns, refunds, or warranties.
Specifications
ConditionExcellentColorsRed, BlueMaterialCeramicNumber of items2StyleVintageHeight21 cmWidth24 cmDepth7 cm
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Seller information
About this seller
Berlin, GermanyOn Whoppah since August 2023 • 20 sales