Cover picture: Antonia Campi and Albino Reggiori, 1990s (photo by Roberto Molinari) Archive Albino Reggiori.
A legend of industrial and ceramic design sadly passed away a few days ago. Starting in the 1950s, he dedicated himself to the sanitary ceramics branch of the SCI (Società Ceramica Italiana) company in Laveno, which later became Richard Ginori, and churned out designs for ceramic series that are still unmistakable today. They were the first ceramic design series and are now all out of production. Before looking at these ceramic series and their toilet seats, I would like to refer you to this article by Mariateresa Chirico readable HERE and a look at Wikipedia on who Antonia Campi is. A few days ago also ilbagnoNEWS.it dedicated a tribute to her, which we reproduce here: “In less than a month, Antonia Campi (Neto to her friends) would have been 98 years old. She serenely ended her long and fruitful earthly life in Chiavari, where she had been spending the winter for years after leaving the green ‘pinetina’ near Lomazzo in the Como area, where she continually designed objects for the bathroom, jewellery and crockery. All strictly with the material that accompanied her throughout her life: ceramics. Antonia (Neto) Campi was, according not only to us but also to her biographer Anty Pansera, the first woman to be recognised in that role as a capable craftswoman of ceramics that she initially modelled (late 1930s) in the factory, designed by architect Portaluppi, in Laveno Mombello, on Lake Maggiore. A pupil of Andlowitz but before that a ‘girl in the workshop’ of the sculptor Francesco Messina, in the pre-war period, Campi discovered herself not only as a decorator, but also as a personage of ideas that led her to produce statues, vases, tiles, costume jewellery and other ceramic products, starting from her second factory in Faenza. After having been a design manager at Ceramica di Laveno for a few years, Campi chose to go freelance. In 2011, her highly original and sometimes provocative ‘savoir-faire’ won her a well-deserved Compasso d’Oro for her career, at an official ceremony in Rome, which we had the honour of attending. Her ashes rest in the family tomb in the cemetery of Sondrio, a locality in the Valtellina valley where she came from, first posing as a model (her body and face for a statue in a square in the centre of Pavia extolling the qualities of the local university), before moving on to decoration and later to the design of many (and diverse) objects, all rigorously obtained by shaping, colouring and firing the ceramics with which she accompanied her very long career path.”
SQUARE series by Pozzi Ginori
PROJECT: 1976. PRODUCTION 1977
Perhaps (together with ITALICA) the most legendary of the old Pozzi Ginori sanitaryware series: Square. We talked about it extensively in the post: ”Pozzi Ginori sanitaryware old square models. Square, Italica and Italo duo which toilet seat cover is correct?”.
It represents for Pozzi-Ginori what Conca represents for Ideal Standard. A series symbolic of the success of sales on the market in the 70s, 80s and even 90s. Thirty years of well-deserved success for the rectangular series together with Conca among the most imitated. When production and market presentation began, it represented the symbol of modern bathrooms with its square shape. It remained in the company’s catalogue until the early 2000s. In addition to white, it was produced in champagne, pink, light blue, grey, walnut, brown and red. You can find all square sanitary ware covers in all official colours in the Sintesibagno store at the following link [ clik HERE ]
TORENA SCI / Lavenite / Richard Ginori
PROJECT: 1958. PRODUCTION 1959
The iconic series of the ‘Campi’ style. The ribbed body of the sanitary ware was the trademark and symbolised the craftsmanship of ceramic workmanship. A revolution in materials and colours!
The toilet seat from this series could not be missing from the store, you can find it at the following link [ clik HERE ]
CONCHIGLIA SCI / Richard Ginori / Pozzi Ginori
PROJECT: 1965. PRODUCTION 1966
We were talking about design and industrial craftsmanship a moment ago with Tabor, here we reach very high levels. The intertwining plant decoration on the base of the toilet and the wavy lines on the cistern, when present, and the refined “continuity of the sign” on the bidet are very special. More explicitly evoking the shell, from which it takes its name, is the washbasin.
Of sanitary ware with incredible shapes and workmanship we have seen in the post: “Oddly shaped toilet seats with unusual dimensions. You will see some beauties!”, where we saw ROMANTICA by Catalano, PANTHEON and VERSAILLES by Astra Ceramica, RIACE by Eos, ZAGARA by Dolomite, CARENA Cidneo and CADORE by Facis GSI. Also particular to Conchiglia was the three-piece toilet seat cover (with the rear bar), which you can clearly find in the store at the following link [ clik HERE ]
TABOR SCI / Richard Ginori / Pozzi Ginori
PROJECT: 1960. PRODUCTION 1962
In those years it represented the company’s luxury series and we can say the entire bathroom furnishing sector. In the original brochure (image opposite) it was described as follows: “a deposited model, which Campi sets, given the explicitly declared neoclassical lines, in a space with gilded mirrors and wall sconces, Corinthian columns to define it.“
It was produced by Pozzi Ginori using the old original designs until the 1970s.
His toilet seat can be found in the Sintesibagno store at the following link [ clik HERE ]
IPSILON SCI / Richard Ginori
PROJECT: 1969. PRODUCTION 1970
The teardrop-shaped sanitary ware series that were produced in the following years were certainly inspired by this series: Ipsilon. We saw them in the posts: ”Teardrop-shaped toilet seats and sanitary fittings (and their measurements) – part 1” and “Teardrop-shaped sanitaryware and toilet seat covers. Narrow at the back and wide at the front (part 2)”.
They are narrow sanitary ware in the back that tends to widen towards the person who is using the sanitary ware. Fantastic was the slogan Richard-Ginori used to promote it: ‘make your loneliness more pleasant‘.
Also offered in white, but the best-selling colour remained fern green (avocado). You can find the white toilet seat at the following link [ clik HERE ] and the one in fern/avocado green at the following link [ clik HERE ]
We have seen the main ceramic series designed by Antonia Campi and their toilet seats. If you are still in doubt about which toilet seat to look for in your bathroom, we suggest you send us an e-mail to info@sintesibagno.it or a WhatsApp message to 3341288978 with two pictures of your toilet seat and a few measurements and we will be able to help you choose a toilet seat. Here is the video on how to go about finding a toilet seat:
