Conceived as a manifesto from the moment of its creation, “La Bella Tavola” has stood the test of time with natural ease. Alessi’s first tableware art collection returns today in a new edition that reaffirms—with undiminished strength—the modernity of Ettore Sottsass’s vision and his deeply cultural approach to the table.
When he designed “La Bella Tavola” in 1993, Ettore Sottsass was not simply creating a table service. He was laying the foundations of a comprehensive project, conceived as a whole, in which each piece exists both on its own and in dialogue with the others. At a time when the art of the table was still often limited to functional sets, Sottsass imagined a coherent, almost narrative universe, where forms, proportions and uses come together to compose a complete experience—an approach that was bold at the time, making this collection Alessi’s first expression of tableware as art. Thirty years later, this new edition faithfully restores the original spirit of the service while underscoring its contemporary relevance. The assortment unfolds with measured elegance around essential pieces: flat, soup and dessert plates, an oval platter, a salad bowl, filter coffee cups, tea cups and espresso cups, each accompanied by its saucer. Two interpretations coexist and engage in dialogue: “La Bella Tavola”, in white porcelain, and “My Beautiful China”, a model recognisable by its blue geometric decoration, Sottsass’s graphic signature. Their combination creates a subtle interplay of contrasts and rhythms, inviting a free, personal and always refined table setting.
Produced in Germany, in a region historically renowned for the excellence of its porcelain, this re-edition perpetuates the high level of quality that already distinguished the original service. The precision of the lines, the accuracy of the proportions and the finesse of the material testify to rigorous craftsmanship, in the service of a design that has lost none of its singularity. With “La Bella Tavola”, Alessi does more than reissue a piece of its heritage. The brand reminds us how strikingly contemporary Ettore Sottsass’s vision remains—capable of transforming the table into a space of cultural expression as much as conviviality. An affirmed classicism, never fixed, that continues to make every meal a singular moment, balancing formal rigour and freedom of use.
Source: Home Fashion News Janv26
