We are delighted to be offering a collection of Roberto Rigon's stylised animal works in our first Design auction of 2026, which takes place on Tuesday 27 January.
24 November 2025
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Roberto Rigon was born in 1929, in Friola di Pozzoleone, Vicenza province, in the Veneto region of northern Italy. He undertook studies at the Regia Scuola d’Arte di Nove, a school well‐known for ceramics. Whilst there, Rigon was influenced by Giovanni Petucco and Andrea Parini.
Roberto Rigon (Italian, b.1929), two cats (and a stoat) (£200-300)
In the early 1950s, Rigon made a venture with Gianni Tosin and Luigi Gheno called l’Etruria, which was not a success. He then worked for different companies including Alessi and Bertoncello Ceramiche of Schiavon, who were known for their modern, sculptural ceramic works in the 1960s‐70s.
After these collaborations, Rigon, along with his wife, founded his own ceramics studio ‘Ceramiche Rigon’ (Rigon Ceramics).
Roberto Rigon (Italian, b.1929) Left: a howling dog (a barking deer, a horse and an elephant) (£150-200) Right: a boar (a cat and a rhinoceros) (£150-200)
Our next highly anticipated Design auction will be held on Tuesday 27 January 2026. The sale will feature twenty-six animals, grouped in eight lots of his stylised animal works, with examples in the ‘Smalto sasso’ (stone enamel) glaze.
Roberto Rigon (Italian, b.1929), a lion, an elephant and a bull (£200-400)
Fun, stylish and cool; these will turn some heads in the depths of winter, and might just be your first auction purchase of the new year!

design@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778
With an enduring link between important designers and department stores, works from a variety of these stores often prove extremely popular at auction, and we are proud to present examples of these in our 27 January Design auction.
8 January 2026
Our upcoming auction 'Peter Petrou | Outward Bound' will be held on Tuesday 24 February 2026.
Join us as we look back at some of the most notable highlights from our 2025 sales and celebrate another excellent year.
18 December 2025