Prestigious Italian made of Italian ceramics

This piece is a reinterpretation of some objects from the Bagni archive, inspired by the taste of American culture of the 1960s and 1970s.
It is made using two different firing processes: one creates a rough base, and the other — colorful enamels applied by hand using a wax technique.
The sand in the base gives the object a distinctive and original character.
The cold-applied black patina completes the overall look.

FROM ALVINO BAGNI TO NUOVE FORME

Nuove Forme was founded in 1993, inheriting the legacy of the ceramic 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 key 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 young boy. Thanks to the teachings of artist Torello Santini, he began working in the workshop of the Arnaldo Pugi ceramic factory in Ponte a Signa. After the war, Pugi himself provided him with funding, enabling him to open his first workshop.
The original history of Ceramiche Bagni begins with 3,500 plates bearing the inscription “I like Ike,” created for Dwight D. Eisenhower’s campaign, who became the 34th President of the United States in 1953.

Alvino involved many family members in his work, primarily his wife Gina, who accompanied him throughout his professional life.

The 1950s and 1960s 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 highly modern products for that time.

The relocation of the company to a larger, more modern factory gave it new momentum. Alvino surrounded himself with highly talented collaborators and artists, such as E. Borgini, M. Mannori, R. Buti, M. Santonocito, and many others, with whom he achieved an ideal 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 meticulously crafted, stylish objects made using new, experimental techniques.

Unfortunately, globalization brought challenges, and the company, still committed to a “craftsman’s” way of working, was unable to cope with excessive cost reductions.

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

It was only in 1993 that Alvino returned to the forefront by founding Nuove Forme, from which he retired after eight years 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.