BOSA-Handmade Italian ceramic design

The Story

In a corner of the Venetian landscape, with an enchanting hilly landscape and babbling mountain streams, lies a city, Borso del Grappa, which bears the name of its highest and noblest peak, on which Bosa, the world-famous ceramic company, settled many years ago. It is no coincidence that the Piedmontese territory of the Veneto region combines the great ceramic tradition of Bassano with the spirit of the cosmopolitan culture of Venice and the innovation of Asolo.

In 1976 Italo Bosa started its own ceramic production and based itself on old manufacturing techniques for completely hand-made objects, supplemented by a rich color palette, decorated with precious metals-gold, platinum, copper-and glazes with exclusive colors created by the company. These precision techniques form the basis for Bosa's production and ensure that the objects remain unique, recognizable and of the highest quality.

The ceramic objects and accessories of the house Bosa are not only an expression of all the artisanal know-how, but also of the incessant experimentation with the possibilities of ceramics, with the aim of transforming formal and functional conventions into new interpretations, new functions and fantastic worlds-a mission, the bosa to his daughters Francesca and Daniela, Passed on to his wife and to everyone who works with him.

What distinguishes Bosa and makes it one of the leading companies in the field of designer ceramics in Italy and around the world is the decision to make research and innovation one of the strengths of the company and thus create the know-how necessary to develop projects, Which appeared impossible due to the difficulties in the production of oversized objects and molds.

It is worth highlighting the founder's particular passion for sharing his design adventure with other designers-mostly young Europeans, experimenters with new formal languages-who helped define the high positioning of the Bosa brand.

Based on the initial collaboration with Marco Zanuso Jr. and the established relationship with the company Palomba-Serafini, Bosa has friendly and professional relationships with the designers Constance Guisset, Patricia Urquiola, Nika Zupanc, Ionna Vautrin, Pepa Reverter, Marco Morosini, Manolo Bossi, Gualtiero Sacchi, sam Baron and Luca Nichetto developed. Bosa developed a very special understanding for Jaime Hayon, who invented so many exuberant worlds, and for Elena Salmistraro and her decorative language. Equally important is the cooperation with leading manufacturers such as Disney, Smiley, Minotti, Moroso, B & B Italia, Baccarat and the tailor-made contract work for Ferrari, Escada, DeBeers, Maison Matisse and many others.

In 2018, Disney selected Bosa to make it 90. To celebrate the birthday of Mickey Mouse, which was celebrated with a series of events around the world. This special collaboration has resulted in a valuable collector's item, designed by Elena Salmistraro and sold exclusively worldwide for 2 years.

In 2020, Bosa presented the panda "Bernardo" and the "Dab Penguin", marking the beginning of a new project dedicated to nature and endangered species: Bosa donates to the WWF to support efforts to protect the endangered animals.

In 2022, it is the collaboration with the company Smiley on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Smiley, the most famous smile in the world, that has led to the creation of three limited edition balls decorated by the artist André Saraiva, as well as the special edition of the Dab Penguin, Another tribute to Smiley's 50th birthday.

At the Milan Design Week 2023, the two latest limited editions were presented:
KARL LAGERFELD x BOSA and BUGS BUNNY for the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros.

From design to creation

Pottery

All the objects in the Bosa collection are made entirely by hand according to the ancient techniques of ceramic processing.

The molds used are made of plaster to allow the careful control of the project. After the piece has been removed from the mold, the object is cleaned by hand and processed down to the smallest detail. Once it is completely dry, it can be fired in the oven.

Burn

At the end of the drying phase, the piece is given for the first firing process. This is followed by further firing to vitrify the enamel and repair defects until the maximum quality of the product is achieved. The objects decorated with gold, platinum or copper are further fired after glazing to fuse the precious metal with the enamel.

Glazing

The glazes that allow the object to be sealed are mixed and assembled in the in-house laboratory, which is why the color palette is exclusive to Bosa. Each piece is dipped into tubs containing the liquid glaze after the first firing, and subsequently it is cleaned of drips or bumps. The glaze is not applied to the base of the object to avoid fusing with the furnace plates.

Decorate

The embellishments are carried out by hand with the brush by masters of their craft with the highest precision and experience. The precious metals applied with the brush, such as gold, platinum, copper and their areas, melt together with the enamel during the firing process at 720°, which guarantees the authenticity of the material and its durability.