'SCAVO' DÉCOR OWL BY ALDO LONDI FOR BITOSSI CERAMICHE

A squat, terracotta owl figurine produced in the 1960s by Aldo Londi for BITOSSI CERAMICHE and finished in the Scavo (excavation) décor. Londi designed the glaze to mimic the patina found on ancient pottery unearthed during archeological digs. Like most items Bitossi created, this handsome owl was available in a variety of décors, each with its distinct character. As is true of all things made by hand, no two were exactly the same. BITOSSI CERAMICHE was established in 1921 as Manifattura Ceramica Cav. Guido Bitossi & Figli by Guido Bitossi in Montelupo Fiorentino—a medieval hilltop Tuscan town with an ancient tradition of ceramic production, located a few kilometers outside Florence. The Bitossi family, documented in the area as early as 1536, had for centuries worked there as sculptors, as painters, but especially as potters. In the 20th century, under Guido’s leadership, they would introduce an extraordinary stylistic and formal renewal of their craft. In the late 1940s, the mas