Madrid-based designer and food art historian Andrea Santamarina has created a series of large ceramic perfume bottles titled “Decadence,” which aim to reinterpret the concept of luxury through craftsmanship and cultural memory. The project, inspired by classic fragrance bottles, was developed following a request from a fragrance collector who is also a family friend.

Santamarina, whose work focuses on the revival of Mediterranean ceramics traditions, initially hesitated to take on the commission as it fell outside her usual practice, which does not typically involve producing highly decorative objects associated with exclusivity. However, she accepted the challenge to create pieces that would carry deeper cultural and conceptual significance.

The process involved digitally modeling the vessels before sending the designs to a ceramics center in Valencia, Spain, where they were constructed using clay slabs. The pieces were then finished in Madrid, where Santamarina applied a crackled, eroded surface treatment inspired by the facades of Venetian buildings, adding a textured, aged appearance.

Functionality is a key element of the design: the ceramic bottles feature metal-edged stoppers that can be used as vases for small bouquets, while the bases are designed to hold bundles of decorative branches. This approach preserves the floral connections traditionally associated with perfume, despite the absence of actual fragrance in the objects.

“Decadence” will be exhibited from Tuesday through Sunday at the Rossana Orlandi design gallery in Milan, located at 14 Via Matteo Bandello. Further information about the project and Santamarina’s work is available on the respective websites of the gallery and the designer’s studio.