Alessi La Bella Tavola Bone China Table Set. In 1993, La Bella Tavola was the first porcelain dining service in our history and is now presented in a new bone china version. It is helpful to remember what Ettore Sottsass wrote at the time: I think it's hard to design a bella tavola, it doesn't just depend on the design of tools that are used but rather it depends on a subtle, uncertain knowledge with which sometime, anyone, goodness knows how and goodness know why, can channel an event, the total perception of our cosmic adventure, into the project: no matter how temporary, surprising and incomprehensible it is. This is why I think, in the past, it was hard to design jade disk for Chinese rituals that, now, we don't even know about, it was hard to design very pure, delicate gold cups to hold Christian blood, it as difficult to design perfect bronzes for tantric pujas, it was difficult to design ceramics for Japanese green tea.