Prestigious Italian made of Italian ceramics

This piece is a reinterpretation of some items from the Bagni archive, inspired by the taste of American culture from the 1960s and 1970s.
It is created using two different firing processes: one forms a rough base, and the other involves hand-applied colorful enamels using a wax technique.
Sand in the base gives the object a distinctive and original character.
Cold-applied black patina completes the overall look.

FROM ALVINO BAGNI TO NUOVE FORME

Nuove Forme was established 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 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 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 funding, enabling him to open his first workshop.
The original story 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, especially his wife Gina, who accompanied him throughout his professional life.

The 1950s and 1960s were pivotal for the Bagni brand, which strengthened its collaborations with leading figures in American design and business, such as Raymor (New York) and Rosenthal, for whom he created highly modern products for that era.

The move to a larger, more modern factory gave the company 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 a 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 objects made using innovative, 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 wasn’t until 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.