Italian Crimson Goatskin + Brass Bar Set by Aldo Turo, 1960s

An Italian bar set by Aldo Tura from the 1960s, bringing together crimson goatskin and brass, the set includes a cocktail shaker, ice bucket, and handled pouring vessel, each wrapped in goatskin lacquered to a deep, luminous red. 

Rather than reading as a uniform color, the surface moves through crimson, scarlet, burgundy, and warmer amber tones. The natural markings of the hide remain visible beneath the glossy finish, with individual sections creating subtle shifts in pattern across each piece. It is this combination of organic material and highly polished surface that gives Tura’s work much of its recognizable richness.

Brass provides the counterpoint. The shaker is capped by a broad domed top and grounded by a narrow brass foot, while the ice bucket is punctuated by small ring handles at either side. The tallest vessel is the most sculptural of the three, with a dark curved handle and an expressive brass pourer whose sweeping profile rises into a pointed finial. Together, these details give functional barware the presence of small decorative objects.

Tura became known for precisely this kind of transformation. Working in Milan, his workshop used materials such as goatskin, parchment, wood, and brass to create furniture and objects whose appeal came as much from their surfaces as their forms. Goatskin was particularly suited to his approach: once lacquered, its natural mottling and grain remain visible beneath a glass-like sheen, meaning no two surfaces resolve in exactly the same way. Here, the intense crimson finish makes that variation especially pronounced.

About Aldo Tura
Aldo Tura (1909-1963) was an iconic Italian furniture designer known for his glamorous use of unusual materials such as parchment, egg shell, and goatskin.