PRIMATES BRAZZA OTTANIO BY ELENA SALMISTRARO

If the navy Brazza is the philosopher — composed and observing at a slight remove — the PRIMATES BRAZZA OTTANIO BY ELENA SALMISTRARO is the sovereign. The same Brazza’s monkey identity, crafted in extraordinary three-dimensional ceramic relief, is now set against a body of deep gloss teal that gives the entire piece the quality of a ceremonial object: something between a royal portrait, a sacred mask, and contemporary fine art that happens to hold flowers.

The teal — ottanio in Italian, a blue-green of considerable depth — carries the weight of deep water and the vitality of tropical foliage simultaneously. Against it, the gold of the Brazza’s face reads not as decoration applied to a surface, but as light emerging from within — the difference between a gilded frame and a gilded icon.

And the gold here is extraordinary. Where the navy edition reserves precious metal for specific features, the PRIMATES BRAZZA OTTANIO BY ELENA SALMISTRARO edition commits almost entirely: cheek panels, brow surround, eye mask, and chin beard — all rendered in full polished gold enamel, with raised dot and radiating line textures multiplying the light at every angle. The face becomes a pure gold mask over teal, carrying the ceremonial authority of a tribal chief’s regalia. Above it, a white dotted crest — the Brazza’s characteristic brow ridge — frames a sweep of rose copper precious metal that radiates like a sunrise, adding a third metallic register to an already richly layered piece.

At Ø26 × H.40 cm, this vase sculpture transforms any surface it occupies. Place it alone — it needs nothing else. Group it with the navy Brazza for a commanding diptych. Add stems through the crown and watch natural materials take on an entirely new register in the context of this extraordinary face.

Specifications

• Piece: Brazza — Brazza’s Monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus — African monkey family)
• Colorway: Ottanio (deep teal-green gloss)
• Material: Ceramic
• Colors: Gloss ottanio
• Surface Detail: Three-dimensional sculptural relief face; raised dot textures on crest and cheeks; radiating line textures; polished gold and rose copper precious metal finishes
• Dimensions: Ø26 × H.40 cm (Ø10.2″ × H.15.7″)
• Use: Indoor — console, sideboard, mantelpiece, shelf, dining table