Postmodern Silver-Plated Coffee and Tea Set with Ebony Handles, Attributed to Lino Sabattini, Italy, 1980s

Lino Sabattini spent sixty years proving that silver could be sculpture. This set is the evidence.

A two-piece postmodern coffee and tea service attributed to Sabattini and produced in Italy, circa 1980s. The taller coffee pot and lower tea pot share the same vocabulary — clean conical forms with sweeping horn-shaped handles carved from solid ebony. The contrast between the reflective silver plate and the dark, warm wood is the entire design: two materials, in conversation, with nothing else to distract.

Sabattini began his career at Christofle in the 1950s and went on to create some of the most recognizable metalwork of the 20th century. His pieces are held in the permanent collections of MoMA, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. By the 1980s, his work had moved into a postmodern register — still minimal, still Italian to its core, but with bolder gestures and more sculptural ambition. This set is from that period.

Both pieces are in good original estate condition with minor cosmetic wear to the silver-plate finish — the honest evidence of a set that was used, not just displayed. The ebony handles are intact and beautiful.

This belongs on a sideboard, a credenza, or a dining table where the rest of the objects are chosen with the same care.

Designer: Attributed to Lino Sabattini (Italian, 1925–2016) Origin: Italy Era: c. 1980s Material: Silver plate with solid ebony handles Set includes: Coffee pot, tea pot

Dimensions:

• Coffee pot: H 8" × Dia. 4" × W 8"
• Tea pot: H 5.5" × Dia. 6" × W 9"

Condition: Good vintage condition. Original, unaltered. Both pieces show minor cosmetic wear to silver-plate finish, consistent with age and use. Ebony handles intact with no chips or cracks. No dents or structural issues.