When I came upon this window display on an evening stroll in Milan, after my initial "Wow! Now, that's fabulous!" reaction, I couldn't help but shake my head.  Leave it to the Italians to design a bathtub in the shape of a shoe.  My attention was immediately captivated and saw that everything about this tub screams Made in Italy.

This tub is designed by Sicis which was founded in Ravenna, Italy.  Ravenna has long been famous for tile mosaics, going as far back as the 5th century, as a number of Italians (and subsequent research) have told me.  When you learn that Ravenna has historic ties to Venice, it's not difficult to see its influence and that of Murano and their world-renowned glass.

Just when I thought this tub couldn't be any more intrinsically Italian, I recalled the interesting, if not eyebrow-raising, history of Roman baths which made me acknowledge the fact that although I think this tub is delightfully and uncompromisingly feminine, others might be more inclined to raise an eyebrow or two.