Cup Collection Gallery / Summary

People ask me often how a complete illy & amici cups collection should look like. Well my personal opinion is, that at least all "illy (art) collection" cups which are currently listed by illy should be in it. In addition to that, those "amici collection" cups which were not released as "illy (art) collection" should be in there too.

But there are many more cups which are not listed (anymore) by illy or amici (listed in red in the summary) which should be part of a collection as well. Those bar "illy espresso" cups (BAR) which were not released as "illy (art) collection" should also be in it. When cups were released as a special edition (SE), they should be part of the collection as well. For the fanatics, advertising cups (ADV) might be added too and when you're still not satisfied, you might go on with prototypes (PRO).

You can find a lot of information about the cups in the section as well. I do not pretend to have all the information about illy and amici cups, but I think that the summary below is quite complete.

Please note that in the overview, s/n means that the cups are signed and numbered. And as I mentioned before, "illy espresso" bar cups and "amici collection" are only listed when they were not produced as "illy (art) collection" cups. Otherwise you will find an A (amici) of B (bar cups) in the OV column.

Please click on the pictures to read all about the cup(s)



Year   Name Artist Copies Porcelain OV
1990
            
Naif (1 esp PRO; -/-) Matteo Thun    
1992
            
Arti e Mestieri (6 esp; -/-) Various   A
1993
            
Arti e Mestieri "La creativita non ha confini" (6 esp; s/n) Various   A
Facce Italiane (6 esp; s/n) Sandro Chia   AB(1a)
Facce Italiane, VII tazzina "Pompei" (1 esp SE; s/n) Sandro Chia 3000 AB
Ginger e Fred (1 esp SE; s/n) Frederico Fellini 6000 A
Prima Collezione "SlowFood" (6 esp SE s/n) Simone Meentzen 500  
Arti e Mestieri II "convention 1993" (6 esp SE; -/-) Various 240  
1994
            
Ceramica I (1 esp SE; s/n) Marino Marini 1000  
Prima Collezione (6 esp; s/n) Simone Meentzen   AB(1b)
Braccia, arti, piedi, parti (6 cap; s/n) Andrea Manetti   AB
Trazzine (6 esp; s/n) Luca Trazzi   A
Ginger e Fred International Convention 1994 (1 esp SE; s/n) Frederico Fellini    
1995
            
Spirali (6 esp; s/n) Roberta Pietrobelli   AB
China (6 esp; s/n) An Du   AB
Teatro (1 esp SE; s/n) Emanuele Luzzati 5000  
vIdeogrammi for Harting (6 esp ADV; s/n) Nam June Paik 1000  
Trazzine Beige (6 esp; s/n) Luca Trazzi    
1996
            
vIdeogrammi (6 esp; s/n) Nam June Paik   AB
vIdeogrammi, VII tazzina "vIdeogramma" (1 esp SE; s/n) Nam June Paik 1000  
Basket Playground (6 esp; s/n) Paolo Cervi Kervischer   AB(2)
Basket Playground for Jura (6 esp ADV; ?/?) Paolo Cervi Kervischer    
The Italian Riviera Cups (6 esp; s/n) James Rosenquist   AB(3)
Beach Plaza (1 esp SE; s/n) Luca Trazzi 1000  
Beach Plaza (1 cap SE; s/n) Luca Trazzi 1000  
Spirali for Permamed (6 esp ADV; s/n) Roberta Pietrobelli    
Native American Art (6 esp; s/n) Eric Mac Pherson 3000  
1997
            
Il ballo del caffè (6 esp; s/n) Sandro Chia   AB
Il ballo del caffè (6 cap; s/n) Sandro Chia   AB
Il ballo del caffè VII tazzina "Mambo" (1 esp SE; s/n) Sandro Chia 1000;  
Roma Aeterna (6 esp; s/n) A.R. Penck   AB
Roma Aeterna (6 cap; s/n) A.R. Penck   A
Stati d'animo (6 esp; s/n) Mario Giacomelli   AB(4)
Stati d'animo for "la notte lava la mente"(6 esp SE; s/n) Mario Giacomelli 1000  
Fossile (1 esp; s/n) Paolo Rossetti    
Fossile (2 esp; s/n) Paolo Rossetti 2000  
VeneXia (white) (1 esp SE; s/n) Luca Trazzi 5000 A(5)
VeneXia (platinum) (1 esp SE; s/n) Luca Trazzi 1997 A(6)
VeneXia (gold) (1 esp SE; s/n) Luca Trazzi 97 A(6)
Zebra for SB vaccins (6 esp ADV; s/-) Roberta Pietrobelli    
Swiss Kids (6 esp; s/n) Various    
Le Meridien Beach Plaza (1 esp BAR; -/-) Luca Trazzi    
Le Meridien Beach Plaza (1 cap BAR; -/-) Luca Trazzi    
ES94-99 (Poi Ti Spiego) (4 esp PRO; -/-) Ettore Sottsass    
1998
            
World Cups (5 esp; s/n) Robert Rauschenberg   AB
World Cups VI tazzina "Paris" (1 esp; s/n) Robert Rauschenberg   A
World Cups (Change Inc. Foundation 4 esp SE; s/n) Robert Rauschenberg 300  
Laietana (1 esp; s/n) J.M. Subirachs   AB
Los niños, Cambiaremos el Mundo (6 esp; s/n) Various   AB
Silver Cup (1 esp SE; s/n) Davis Byrne 1000  
Silver Cup illy collection 1998 for David Byrne (1 esp PRO; s/n) Davis Byrne    
Protrahere (6 esp; s/n) Heinz Gadient 3000  
Swiss kids II (6 esp; s/n) Various 3000  
Perfonture (6 esp; s/n) Vittorio Corsini 3000  
Perfonture (6 cap; s/n) Vittorio Corsini 2000  
Perfonture for demoSCOPE (6 esp ADV; s/-) Vittorio Corsini    
Perfonture for demoSCOPE (6 cap ADV; s/-) Vittorio Corsini    
1999
            
Tazzine ballerine (6 esp; s/n) Marco Lodola   AB(7)
Bus Stops (6 esp; s/n) Darryl Pottorf   AB
Bus Stops (6 cap; s/n) Darryl Pottorf   AB
Zebra (6 esp; s/n) Roberta Pietrobelli   AB
Schwung (6 esp; s/n) Peter Roesch A  
Minimalia (suitcase)(7 esp SE; s/n) Mimmo Paladino 333  
Texture of Home illy anteprima 1999 (6 esp SE; s/n) Francis Ford Coppola 1000  
2000
            
Texture of Home (6 esp; s/n) Francis Ford Coppola   B
Modus Operandi (6 esp; s/n) Joseph Kosuth   A
Modus Operandi (6 cap; s/n) Joseph Kosuth   A
Minimalia (6 esp; s/n) Mimmo Paladino   A
Minimalia VII tazzina "Zucchero o sale?"(1 esp SE; s/n) Mimmo Paladino 500  
Central Saint Martins (6 esp; s/n) Ross Cooper & Neil Atkin   A
Alien Cups (4 esp + bowl SE; s/n) David Byrne 1000  
Artistas do Brasil for 10° "Premio Brasil de Qualidade do Café para Espresso" (6 esp SE; s/n) Various 2000  
2001
            
Alien Cups (4 esp + bowl; s/n) David Byrne    
Alien Cups ARTIST'S PROOF (4 esp + bowl PRO; s/n) David Byrne    
P.S.1 (6 esp; s/n) Various   AB
P.S.1 (6 cap; s/n) Various   AB
Artistas do Brasil (6 esp; s/n) Various   B
Artistas do Brasil (Albert Hall, Brussels) in Air Box (1 esp; s/n) Various 1.000 B
Prêmio Brasil De Qualidade Do Café Para Espresso Award(1 esp SE; ?/?) ?      
Jeff Koons (6 esp; s/n) Jeff Koons   B
Jeff Koons (6 cap; s/n) Jeff Koons   B
Miss Illy (1 esp SE; s/n) Matteo Thun 9000  
International Flight (1 esp SE; s/n) Norma Jeane 3000  
2002
            
Marina Abramovic (6 esp; s/n) Marina Abramovic   A
International Flight (6 esp; s/n) Norma Jeane   AB
International Flight (6 cap; s/n) Norma Jeane   AB
People and places with no name (1 esp SE; s/n) Michael Comte 2000  
Michelangelo Pistoletto (6 esp; s/n) Michelangelo Pistoletto A  
Jannis Kounellis (1 esp SE; s/n) Jannis Kounellis 3000  
No water no coffee (6 esp; s/n) Maria Joao Calisto   B
Marina Abramovic (1 esp SE; s/n) Spirit Cup 750  
Je t'aime (1 esp SE; s/n) Louise Bourgeois 3000  
2003
            
Le jour la nuit le jour (4 esp; s/n) Louise Bourgeois   A
Dream (6 esp; s/n) Shizaku Yokomizo   A
Dream (6 cap; s/n) Shizaku Yokomizo   A
Dream (6 esp BAR; -/-) Shizaku Yokomizo    
Dream (6 cap BAR; -/-) Shizaku Yokomizo    
Sogni e conflitti (1 esp SE; s/n) Francesco Bonami 2500  
Sogni e conflitti (4 esp BAR; -/-) Francesco Bonami    
Sogni e conflitti (4 cap BAR; -/-) Francesco Bonami    
Coffee flowers ideas (2 mug; s/n) James Rosenquist    
Haim Steinbach (4 esp; s/n) Haim Steinbach   A
Haim Steinbach (1 esp SE; s/n) Haim Steinbach 2000  
Nude (4 esp SE; -/-) Matteo Thun    
In Principio - Brasil (1 esp SE; s/n) Sebastiao Salgado 6600  
2004
            
Pen tests (6 esp; s/n) Padraig Timoney   AB
Pen tests (6 cap; s/n) Padraig Timoney   AB
Love difference (1 esp SE; s/n) Michelangelo Pistoletto 5500  
Daniel Buren Blu (4 esp; s/n) Daniel Buren    
Daniel Buren Verde (4 esp; s/n) Daniel Buren    
Jeff Koons (2 mug; s/n) Jeff Koons    
In Principio - India (1 esp SE; s/n) Sebastiao Salgado    
Artissima 11 (1 esp SE) Matteo Thun    
2005
            
Janis Kounellis (4 esp; s/n) Janis Kounellis    
Rufus Willis (4 esp; s/n) Rufus Willis   B
Rufus Willis (4 cap; s/n) Rufus Willis   B
Atelier van Lieshout (4 esp; s/n) Joep van Lieshout    
Atelier van Lieshout (4 esp SE; s/n) Joep van Lieshout 2100  
Serse (2 glasses SE) Matteo Thun      
Biennale di Venezia 2005 (4 esp BAR) Logo di Biennale    
Biennale di Venezia 2005 (4 cap BAR) Logo di Biennale    
Pistoletto Foundation (4 esp; s/n) Various   A
Pistoletto Foundation (4 cap; s/n) Various   A
Julian Schnabel (5 esp; s/n) Julian Schnabel    
Julian Schnabel (2 mugs; s/n) Julian Schnabel    
In Principio - Ethiopia (1 esp SE; s/n) Sebastiao Salgado    
2006
            
L'ora blu (6 esp; s/n) Jan Fabre   A
Michael Lin (4 esp; BAR) Michael Lin    
Michael Lin (4 cap; BAR) Michael Lin    
Michael Lin (6 esp; s/n) Michael Lin   B
Michael Lin (6 cap; s/n) Michael Lin   B
Kit Celestino (1 esp SE) Maurizio Cargnelli 400  
2007
            
"Sixty" (1 mug SE; s/n) Marina Abramovic 1000  
Michael Beutler (6 esp; s/n) Origami    
Biennale di Venezia 2007 (4 esp BAR) Maurizio Cargnelli   B
Biennale di Venezia 2007 (4 cap BAR) Maurizio Cargnelli   B
2008
            
ART KEPT ME OUT OF JAIL AND OUT OF MUSEUMS (1 esp SE; s/n) Jan Fabre 1000  
"A Wider Horizon" (75th Anniversary) (1 esp SE; -/n)   1933  
William Kentridge (6 esp; s/n) William Kentridge   A
William Kentridge (6 cap; s/n) William Kentridge   A
2009
            
Los Abrazos Rotos (1 esp SE; s/n) Pedro Almodovar    
Tobias Rehberger (1 esp SE; s/n) Tobias Rehberger    
Pedro Almodovar (6 esp; s/n) Pedro Almodovar   AB(8)
Pedro Almodovar (6 cap; s/n) Pedro Almodovar   AB(8)
Fondazione Ernesto Illy (1 signed saucer; 2 esp) Inspired by Ernesto Illy    

           

(1a) also illy collection 1994 (sign+numb / Richard Ginori),
illy collection (1995 sign+numb / Mitterteich),
amici collection (1994 sign+numb)

(1b) also illy collection (1995 sign+numb / Mitterteich),
(2) only cappuccino illy espresso (bar) cups
(3) only cappuccino amici collection cups
(4) only cappuccino illy espresso (bar) and amici collection cups
(5) two identical amici collection cups in package
(6) one platinum and one gold amici collection cup in package, both with white saucer
(7) only cappuccino (5) illy espresso (bar) cups
(8) only 3 cups