Babel' Resin Wine Bucket by Gaetano Pesce for Fish Design Italy, 1990s, Signed

Limited edition 1990s flexible resin wine bucket by Gaetano Pesce for Fish Design, Italy. Numbered 182/1000.

Works great as an ice bucket, wine bucket, catch-all, vase, vessel, sculpture, planter, pot or jardinière. If you use it as a planter, we suggest an interior lining to protect the piece.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Gaetano Pesce, born on November 8, 1939, in La Spezia, Italy, is renowned as a leading figure in contemporary Italian design and architecture. Fearlessly experimental with materials and color, Pesce has collaborated with Italy’s foremost design companies, including Artemide, Vitra, Cassina, and B&B Italia.

Pesce began his journey into design at the University of Venice, where he pursued architecture and graduated in 1965. Influenced by prominent figures such as Ernesto Nathan Rogers and Mario Bellini at the Venice College of Industrial Design, Pesce embraced a commitment to novelty and avant-garde principles. He co-founded the avant-garde architectural collective "Gruppo N," inspired by the Bauhaus aesthetic, during his formative years.

Pesce’s portfolio encompasses a wide range of designs, from iconic furniture pieces to monumental architectural projects. His creations reflect a profound contemplation of modernity, exemplified by the La Mamma chair (1969), which evokes a prehistoric fertility figure, and the Organic Building in Osaka (1993), celebrated for its innovative hanging garden motif.

Among his most celebrated furniture designs are the Up series for B&B Italia, including the Up5 armchair (La Donna) and Up6 ottoman (La Mamma), which challenge traditional notions of form and function with their bold, anthropomorphic shapes. Other notable designs include the 357 Feltri chair (1987) for Cassina and the groundbreaking 543 Broadway chair (1990).

In addition to his prolific design career, Pesce has been an influential educator, teaching at prestigious institutions worldwide such as the Domus Academy in Milan, the University of Hong Kong, and The Cooper Union in New York City. His work has been exhibited extensively at international venues, including notable showcases at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Triennale Design Museum in Stockholm. Recently, his designs were featured in the exhibition "Radical: Italian Design 1965-1985, The Dennis Freeman Collection" at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Gaetano Pesce’s contributions to design have garnered numerous awards, including the Designer of the Year Award from A&W Architektur und Wohnen of Cologne, Germany, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles.

MEASUREMENTS:

H 11.75" x W 12.25" x D 11.5"

*Base diameter is 7.5"

*Opening diameter is 9"

CONDITION:

Very good vintage condition, ready for immediate use. Light age and patina. Some small hard to see blemishes.