E. SOTTSASS | TSEUI

Tseui, named for the last empress of China (1835-1908), consists of an elegant combination of three forms and colors. Their geometries and equilibrium evoke the architectural and graphic signature of the iconic Italian artist and the Memphis movement he initiated. Each part of the piece is hand-crafted on turn wheels by the master ceramicists of Sèvres. The depth of the Sèvres colors is obtained through painstaking methods perfected by the French porcelain manufacturer; the deep layers of the colors are insufflated at high temperature, while the lighter tones are later applied over meticulous layering. Ettore Sottsass visited the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres in 1993. He created a series of 14 pieces in collaboration with the revered ceramicists, each of which carries the name of a historical woman figure. In 1994, the 14 pieces were exhibited at the Centre Pompidou in Paris as part of a retrospective exhibition. Two years later, the artist completed his collaborative series with Sèvres with a set of white porcelain and gilded gold pieces. The body of work resulting from the collaboration between Ettore Sottsass and Sèvres embodies both the porcelain mastery carried on by the centuries-old Manufacture de Sèvres and the iconic designs of the 20th Century Memphis movement.