A prestigious vase made of Italian ceramics

This small vase embodies a complex crafting technique, starting with the vertical, hand-shaped form using a comb, and finishing with the decoration and combination of these two elements to create something unique, reminiscent of fabric texture. The Bagni archive returned this wonderful pattern to us, which we reinterpreted using a new colour palette.
The pattern is created using hot wax (an ancient technique that allows for greater precision than ordinary wax) and is then filled piece by piece with colourful crystals in a set order.
After firing, a black patina is applied,
to highlight the decoration.

FROM ALVINO BAGNI TO NUOVE FORME

Nuove Forme was established in 1993, inheriting the legacy of the ceramics company

Alvino Bagni.

Nuove Forme is currently managed by Gianfranco Ghiretti and Alvino Bagni's granddaughter, Maria Chiara Ghiretti, along with several long-standing and important collaborators.

ALVINO BAGNI

A journey full of passion, technique, and creativity

Alvino Bagni was born in the village of Lastra a Signa in 1919 and became interested in ceramics as a boy. Thanks to the teachings of artist Torello Santini, he began working in the workshop of Arnaldo Pugi's ceramics factory in Ponte a Signa. After the war, Pugi himself provided him with funding, enabling him to open his first workshop.
The fascinating history of Ceramiche Bagni begins with 3,500 plates bearing the slogan “I like Ike”, created for Dwight D. Eisenhower's election campaign, who became the 34th President of the United States in 1953.

Alvino involved many family members in his business, most notably his wife Gina, who accompanied him throughout his professional life.

The 1950s and 60s were pivotal for the Bagni brand, which strengthened its collaboration with leading figures in American design and business, such as Raymor (New York) and Rosenthal, for whom he created products that were extremely modern for their time.

The move to a larger, more modern factory gave the company new momentum. Alvino surrounded himself with exceptionally talented collaborators and artists, such as E. Borgini, M. Mannori, R. Buti, M. Santonocito, and many others, with whom he achieved the perfect balance between material, technique, functionality, tradition, and aesthetic beauty.

By 1980, the factory employed over 100 people and had become synonymous with high-quality artistic production, renowned for intricately crafted, stylish items produced using new, experimental techniques.

Unfortunately, globalisation brought challenges, and the company, still attached to the "craft" way of working, was unable to cope with excessive cost reductions.

Despite efforts to save the employees, his factory was ultimately closed in 1990.

It was not until 1993 that he returned to the forefront, founding Nuove Forme, from which he retired eight years later due to health reasons.

Alvino passed away in 2009 at the age of 90. His career was an incredibly fulfilling journey, marked by humility, technique, passion, and creativity.