Book „Handmade by Bitossi“ - 100 Years of Design

A company archive can preserve more than objects. It can reveal how ideas, materials and manual skills travel from one generation to the next. Published in 2021, “Handmade by Bitossi – 100 Years of Modern Tradition” celebrates the first century of the Tuscan ceramic manufactory founded in 1921.

Across 191 richly illustrated pages, the book explores Bitossi through its ceramics, its workshops and the creative figures associated with its history. Archival perspectives and contemporary photography create a vivid portrait of a company whose identity has always depended on the relationship between skilled hands and adventurous design.

Aldo Londi’s influential work forms an essential part of that story. His colours, incised surfaces and sculptural forms gave Bitossi an unmistakable international identity during the post-war decades. The publication also follows the company’s wider design culture, from its early collaboration with Ettore Sottsass to later encounters with a new generation of artists and designers.

Ginevra Bocini and Michela Pelizzari curated the project. Christoph Radl and Yuta Kurimoto developed its graphic design, while Delfino Sisto Legnani and Piotr Niepsuj provided the photography. The royal-blue cloth-bound hardcover gives the publication a tactile quality appropriate to its subject.

Presented in Italian and English, “Handmade by Bitossi” is both an informative company monograph and a beautifully composed visual book. It belongs in the library of anyone interested in Italian ceramics, Mid-Century Modern design, Aldo Londi or the continuing relevance of traditional craftsmanship.

Title: Handmade by Bitossi – 100 Years of Modern Tradition
Occasion: Bitossi Ceramiche centenary, 1921–2021
Published by: Bitossi Ceramiche / Fondazione Bitossi
Photography: Delfino Sisto Legnani and Piotr Niepsuj
Languages: Italian and English
Publication year: 2021
Length: 191 extensively illustrated pages
Binding: Royal-blue cloth-bound hardcover
Printed in: Italy