• Important 20th Century Decorat auction at Christies

    Sale 2321

    Important 20th Century Decorative Art & Design

    New York

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    17 June 2010

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    • ETTORE SOTTSASS (1917-2007)
    Lot 146

    ETTORE SOTTSASS (1917-2007)

    A GLAZED CERAMIC VASE, 1963

    Price realised

    USD 82,900

    Estimate

    USD 20,000 - USD 30,000

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    ETTORE SOTTSASS (1917-2007)
    A Glazed Ceramic Vase, 1963
    from the Ceramiche delle Tenebre (darkness) series; executed by Bitossi
    19½ in. (49.5 cm.) high, 7 in. (17.8 cm.) diameter
    marked SOTTSASS 1963

    Provenance

    Galleria Il Sestante, Milan.
    Fulvio Ferrari, Turin.

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    Lot Essay

    cf. F. Ferrari, Ettore Sottsass Tutta La Ceramica, Turin, 1996, p. 119, pl. 511.

    The Ceramics of Darkness (ceramiche delle tenebre) series was created in reaction to Sottsass' potentially fatal illness that he suffered in 1962. The use of color, in particular the dominance of darkness over light reflects his fears while the cylindrical form is representative of the violet-blue night lighting in the hospital. This series was exhibited at Il Sestante gallery in 1963 in Milan.

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