Rituale is a vessel designed for the Premio Rometti design contest, hosted by the Ceramiche Rometti ceramics studio. Its design is a celebration of iconic Italian designs of the past and present and Italian coffee culture.
Our lives are full of rituals: practices that seem so mundane, but are important parts of everyday life. Many of our daily rituals involve objects we hold sacred, and there are few objects as ubiquitous in Italian society as the Bialetti Moka Pot. An icon of Italian design, the Moka Pot is symbolic of the immense value of coffee in Italian culture. Coffee is a tradition, a ritual, and a social staple, and the Rituale vessel celebrates coffee and its power to bring people together. The delicate illustrations depict the steam of hot espresso and conversations over coffee, evoking the feeling of enjoying a cup at the coffee bar with friends. The bold white on black emulates the surface treatments used by the ancient Etruscans, as well as the classic Rometti design aesthetic. The faceted sides of the pot draw from the iconic Bialetti design, combining a modern form with the historic amphora silhouette. By mimicking both the ancient Etruscan amphora and the contemporary Moka Pot, Rituale celebrates Italian designs of the past and present.
Ideation
Final Design Renderings
Final Product
Produced by Ceramiche Rometti
Rituale was chosen as one of the finalist designs for the Rometti Premio and I had the opportunity to travel to the Ceramiche Rometti studio in Umbertide, Italy to participate in a one-week internship under Rometti's creative director.
My piece, along with the works of five other students, was produced in clay by Rometti's master potter. I had the opportunity to see the vessel in its in-progress state, give feedback, and choose the surface treatment methods. The vase was then fired and glazed after the internship concluded. The final piece was presented at the Premio Rometti 2022 Award Ceremony at the Rome University of Fine Arts.
