Lapislazzuli

1968-1972

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

Part of Sottsass’s Indian Memory ceramics series, this teapot recalls the stepped, temple-tower form of the ziggurat, which has origins in ancient Mesopotamia and the Americas, and is also associated with the biblical Tower of Babel. The use of the ziggurat here reflects Sottsass’s interest in ancient and non-Western cultures, and his desire to infuse objects with symbolism and historical or spiritual references. Lapis lazuli, a blue semi-precious stone, is connected with healing and protection in Indian mythology.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: Lapislazzuli
Artist: Ettore Sottsass (Italian (born Austria), Innsbruck 1917–2007 Milan)
Date: 1968-1972
Medium: Ceramic
Dimensions: 8 × 7 1/2 × 7 in. (20.3 × 19.1 × 17.8 cm)
Classification: Ceramics-Vessels
Credit Line: Private Collection
Rights and Reproduction: Studio Ettore Sottsass Srl
Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art