$679.00

SOLD for AU $675 in 2023! NOTE- all our prices are in AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS (which is significantly less in American dollars).

This piece is close to BRISBANE City but can be posted internationally for the cost of postage plus $3 for the storage of used packing materials. We regularly pick up clean packing materials from an electrical store before it ends up as landfill. If you have Bitossi animals to sell, get in contact with us.

 

Out of stock

SOLD for AU $675 in 2023! NOTE- all our prices are in AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS (which is significantly less in American dollars).

LOCATION- Brisbane City area

Background Info and Provenance

(Description written in 2023. Some information such as values may be time-sensitive.)

A brilliant vintage Bitossi cat designed by Aldo Londi in the 1950’s. She measures an impressive 31cm in height which is massive for vintage pottery. She is one of Bitossi’s largest creations so has a majestic quality. Vintage Bitossi pieces were all done by hand in Italy- the incisions on the outside, the paint decoration and the moulding have been done by the hands of an artist- the “roughness” of Bitossi pieces and the tooling marks draw people in (even if somewhat subconsciously) because this tells us they were actually made by people. This is where vintage Bitossi pieces and the new releases that are currently around vary markedly. The new pieces are essentially plaster poured into a mould- a machine could do it and does. The new-release Bitossi pieces are all identical for each shape- they look mass-produced and are. They lack the character of the vintage pieces. The new releases may have the name Bitossi stamped underneath but they are NOT authentic Bitossi pieces- Bitossi made its name in the middle of last century by creating every pottery piece BY HAND. Some ebay sellers may market the new ones as being retro and authentic- they are NOT- they are copies of the originals made by machines.    

To my knowledge, Bitossi pieces were never retailed in Australia- they were commissioned by a variety of heavyweights in larger countries including design retailers such as Raymor and Rosenthal Netter in the USA but Bitossi animals are very rare in the Southern Hemisphere. This cat in particular is rarely seen here. I’ve seen less than a handful of these in the 21 years I’ve been in this business. (Two of them have been ones I’ve sold which I bought in from overseas.)

It’s obvious this cat has been done by hand but this shape hasn’t been re-issued anyway- this is a VINTAGE Bitossi piece- GUARANTEED. The piece is also signed which further strengthens its investment appeal. The signature is correct for this design. I’ve been following the investment values of vintage Bitossi for 20 years. It has never gone backwards in that time and from 2013 to 2019 values DOUBLED! Since COVID they have increased in value by about 50% in just 3 years (from 2020 – 2023).

But the investment appeal of this cat is a small part of the equation. When you experience Bitossi pieces first-hand, there’s something very special about knowing the piece is the handiwork of highly-esteemed artists who worked in Italy back in the 1950’s and 60’s… Most home décor ends up as landfill after a matter of years whereas Bitossi pieces have only become more prized as time goes by. This is certainly a piece to hang onto because the popularity of Bitossi pieces will outlive us all. There’s no better way to invest in your home and our environment. 

2305