Christofle

The work of self-taught Italian designer Lino Sabattini embodies new approaches to design that developed in post-World War II Italy. In a country that was recovering from the devastating effects of war and a brutal Fascist regime, designers and architects set about developing an aesthetic that would define a new era in the country. In 1956 Sabattini became director of design at the prestigious Christofle Orfèvrerie, where he created metalware notable for abstract organic forms between 1956 and 1963. His Como designs are an example of the new aesthetic that was developing at the time. Rejecting the hard lines and straight edges that defined design in the Fascist era Sabattini’s designs were decidedly more fluid and sculptural. Elongated arcs lend a sensuality to the simplified forms and complex organic curves of this tea service. Sabattini’s mixing of art and function was a common theme in Italy in the 1950s and helped establish the country’s reputation as a powerful force in the European avant-garde during the 1950s and 60s.