Puro Vase

Arts and materials

The Puro vase, along with the Lucente and Sinuoso vases, was handmade by Alessio Sarri, a Florentine master craftsman. Graduating with a Fine Arts degree in the early 1970s, this ceramist attaches great importance to experimenting with and taming complex forms, which has made him an expert in his field. 

Alessandro Mendini and Maison Matisse naturally turned to him for the creation of three limited edition vases since he is highly appreciated by the younger generation of designers for his know-how and ability to transform each piece into a unique object.

Faience earthenware was the material selected to showcase the bright and colorful decorative glaze. Cast and demolded by hand to give the vase its unique and generous dimensions, the biscuit is then hand-finished by the craftsman.

The application of the colors represents a true feat of craftsmanship. Indeed, each color is fired in an alternation of painted areas and masked areas, thus preventing the colors from touching and mixing during the firing process. 

An initial three colors are applied, followed by three more, with the process repeating until a vase is obtained with unique shades that will stand the test of time.

Alessandro Mendini created an entire palette of eight colors (in addition to white and black) for Maison Matisse. Thus, each of the designer’s three vases uses 6 of the 8 colors developed according to Alessandro Mendini’s recommendations for this collection entitled "1869".