Fall 2011 Collections - Bringing Nature Home

As everyone focuses on nature, sustainability, and the environment, the three Italian companies represented by Arbiter

have found beautiful and creative ways to portray this in their new collections.

Reuniting with design team Carlo Ninchi and Vittorio Locatelli, Egizia (Poggibonsi, Tuscany, Italy) continues the natural

theme that started with the water side of their Aquaria collection to nature on land with their Aria edition. Images of

alliums, peonies, poppies, and chamomile are hand-screen printed on hand-blown glass or crystal in silver and color.

These are twice fired at 580 degrees Celsius to permanently decorate the pieces. Natural elegance for the table or home.

For over 50 years Riccardo Marzi of Florence Italy has been capturing nature in acrylic

resin. Their new line, Livingstone, brings the look of a stream bed to serving pieces.

Some are partners with natural bamboo bowls to enhance their organic feel.

Legnomagia of Perugia in Umbria has been producing whimsical

housewares for years using sustainably harvested European

hardwoods and finishing them with non-toxic colors and finished with

beeswax and natural oils. With a touch of whimsy they take the

message of protecting the environment to heard in the imagery and with

notations etched in their newest collection called, “Sensible Living.”

Just as nature is a uniting theme, so is the celebration of the home. Each company presents the

celebration of nature, the natural world, and home to their lines which will be exhibited at the New

York International Gift Fair this August 2011.

AQUARIA – Capturing Nature on Glass. Designed by Carlo Ninchi and Vittorio Locatelli

Carlo Ninchi and Vittorio Locatelli were asked by Egizia to step beyond the elegant,

geometric and abstract concepts that were their hallmark to interpret the figurative

themes in nature, from a designer’s perspective.

The first part of the project was devoted to the world of water -- “AQUA”; the second

part, debuting in August 2011 takes its inspiration from the world of air -- “ARIA”.

The two designers embraced nature in its purest form. Inspiration grew from flowers

that color the gardens, meadows that sway in a soft breeze, and flowering trees that

seem simple from far away, yet intricately complicated up close. ARIA is a world of

organic design that creates a fresh, elegant, and sophisticated décor.

Traditional floral decoration is updated with a contemporary perspective on vases and

glassware that capture the movement of nature. Vases are made of transparent,

mouth-blown double-thickness glass; glasses and dessert bowls are made of lead-free

crystal. Thick enamel colors transmit a velvety quality that is almost tangible simply

by observing. These colors are then embellished with sands of crystal and Egizia’s

signature application of pure silver (980/1000), making each piece precious and

unique. The collection highlights the silk-screen technique, hand applied, that has

become Egizia’s trademark for more than sixty years.

Impeccable quality and accuracy and expert design combine to

create timeless fragments of living nature indelibly fixed to each

stunning piece of the AQUARIA collection.

Perché No “Why Not” Gourmet Collection—Celebrating, Naturally Designed by Simonetta Doni

The themes and rituals of celebration are communicated with wit and joy in this expanding collection

aptly named Perché No, or “Why Not” With the belief that celebrations are centered at the table with

wine, water, good food, and seasonings each piece communicates this message. Simonetta Doni, the

designer is well established in the field of wine and wine labels, and seemed the natural candidate to

artfully collaborate with Egizia in elevating the value of the table through the application of pure

silver to everyday items such as salt and pepper shakers, oil and vinegar dispensers, wine and

water bottles, pitchers and glasses.

All of the decoration is hand screen printed using pure silver (980/1000), fired at

over 500 degrees Celsius, permanently fusing the message to the glass. Here the

message is the bottle, not inside of it.

The newest additions to the collection include liqueur bottles and glasses, cocktail

glasses, and glass storage canisters for

everything from pasta, to coffee.

What better way to spread the message of

good cheer, of home, good food and good

friends, than with stylish reminders that

even simple joys and ingredients can be

priceless

Sensible Living – celebrating nature with whimsy.

Legnomagia presents its new collection “Sensible Living” which fuses natural design with eco-style and a joyful utility.

Bats, tortoises, dolphins, and elephants are used to communicate messages of conservation, environmental awareness,

and kindness to animals. What they want to communicate is: “Do your best to create a better quality of life on our

wonderful planet.” From the cutting board sets to egg cups to the smallest key-chain, each product is an eco-reminder

with messages such as “save the earth, save water, help bats, be friendly to animals, free Tuna…” printed on the

designed product. This collection, made by Legnomagia reminds us daily of the importance of living sensibly.

Legnomagia utilizes sustainable practices in their production and material. European hardwoods such as Beech, Maple,

and Walnut, are finished with aromatic natural oils and beeswax. They are then combined with many natural materials

such as cork, metal, ceramics, glass, nylon, brass, wool.

Established in 1978 near Perugia, Italy, Legnomagia, which

means “magical wood”, designs and produces their own

collections, which combine creativity with technology with

hand-made sensibilities. Legnomagia’s kitchen and

decorative accessories present creative and whimsical

design intended to be used everyday.

The goal to find the balance between style and utility,

form and function, appears in the variety of items they

manufacture.

The Livingstone Collection –

Bringing Nature to the Table

Riccardo Marzi is pleased to present its Livingstone Collection. These products are a

wonderful extension of the popular riverstone pattern (round stones encased in resin) that

have been a best seller for a number of years at the MoMA store. First debuted in Milan with

organically formed vases and furniture pieces they are now offering an extended selection of tabletop items. Offset bowls,

sushi sets, and an appetizer tray, these pieces artfully produce the effect of a clear mountain stream bed for everyday and

decorative use in the home.

Riccardo Marzi, of Florence, Italy, has been capturing nature in resin for over 50 years. Inspired by fossil ambers, Riccardo

grew fond of the notion of utilizing the transparency of resin in order to make everyday objects that might preserve

indefinitely the beauties that Nature provides.

With a continuing appreciation for the value of fine craft, they have invested in design that offers

style, sophistication and a range from traditional to contemporary. The medium is versatile and offers

an interesting decorative accent to a table or room. Here form and function meet nature,

art, and artisanry.

The patterns and objects captured in the transparent resin have

a weight and depth to them that make them

timeless treasures that often evoke a memory of

a walk in the woods, a stroll on the beach, or the

peacefulness of a clear stream.