Vintage 20th C. Italian Brass Espresso Set - 2 Pieces

Europe, Italy, ca. 1950s to 1960s CE. One of my favorites! I adore this set of brass espresso makers from Italian manufacturer Bialetti, which are from the post modern period of design - reminding us of mid-century ideas about how sleek and stylish the future would be. The overtly technological form of the tall espresso maker, which features a cord so that it can be used without being on the stove top, includes a long, projecting spout, a huge spherical knob at the top that unscrews to release a curved lid and reveal the interior, and a black plastic handle whose form resembles that of an conveyor belt snaking around a corner. The smaller of the two, made for stovetop use (so it has no electrical components), has the same style of handle, with the body more traditionally of the famous Bialetti Moka Express form. Perfect for the coffee connoisseur in your life! Size of larger: 7.85" W x 11.75" H (19.9 cm x 29.8 cm)

Alfonso Bialetti (1880-1970), an Italian engineer, is most famous for the Moka Express coffeemaker, which is not only stylish, but makes excellent coffee by passing boiling water pressurized by steam up through ground coffee and into an upper chamber for pouring. If you have ever had coffee in an Italian home - or in many other parts of the world, especially Latin America - chances are, you have probably had coffee made by one of Bialetti's creations. His iconic design has been displayed in several industrial art and design museums, including the London Science Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum.

Provenance: Tambaran Gallery, New York, New York, USA

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#149100
Condition Report: Both have tiny scratches and light signs of wear commensurate with age. The interiors show that they have been used. Power cord is still attached to the larger (the smaller does not require a power cord).