Gambone Lion

Known for his prolific mid-century works, Italian artist Bruno Gambone is regarded as one of the most influential figures in ceramics. Born in 1936 in Vietri sul Mare, Gambone was introduced to the world of ceramics at the age of 14 while he worked in the Florence studio of his father, renowned ceramist Guido Gambone.

Toward the end of the 1950s, Gambone left his father’s studio to work at Italian artist Andrea D’Arienzo’s workshop, where he explored other disciplines such as canvas painting and textile decoration. He became committed to painting and exhibited at Florence’s La Strozzina in 1959.

In 1963, Gambone left Italy for the United States. He lived in New York City during a fertile era for creative expression — a time marked by pivotal artistic movements such as Pop art and Abstract Expressionism. Gambone made numerous friends and moved in the same circles as iconic American artists Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Rauschenberg. The Italian native learned more about a range of fields such as sculpture and theater. However, after five years, he returned to his homeland to live in Milan.

While in Milan, Gambone experimented with jewelry design for a brief period. But following his father’s death in 1969, Gambone returned to Florence to run his father’s studio, shifting his attention back toward ceramics.

Throughout the 1970s, Gambone created table lamps, vases, bowls and sculptures, including a series of ceramic animals. He began work in 1972 on what would become his celebrated “Fantastic Animals” series — initially a minimalist collection of stoneware fish, lions, snakes and other creatures characterized by sharp-edged geometric forms.

Gambone showcased his ceramic works at the 1972 Venice Biennale and the Milan Triennale in 1973. The artist received awards from the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art of San Diego at La Jolla and other institutions.

On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Bruno Gambone decorative objects, serveware and lighting.

Invite the untamed wonders of the animal kingdom into your home — and do so safely — with the antique, new and vintage animal sculptures available on 1stDibs.

Artists working in every medium from furniture design to jewelry to painting have found inspiration in wild animals over the years. For sculptors, three-dimensional animal renderings — both realistic and symbolic — crisscross history and continents. In as early as 210 B.C., intricately detailed terracotta horses guarded early Chinese tombs, while North America’s native Inuit tribes living in the ice-covered Arctic during the 1800’s wore small animal figurines carved from walrus ivory. Indeed, animal sculpture has a long history, and beginning in the 19th century, the art form started becoming not only fashionable but artistically validated — a trend that continues today. At home, animal sculptures — polished bronze rhinos crafted in the Art Deco style or ceramic dogs of the mid-century modern era — can introduce both playfulness and drama to your decor.

In the case of the frosted glass sculptures crafted by artisans at legendary French glassmaker Lalique, founded by jeweler and glass artist René Lalique, some animal sculptures are purely decorative. With their meticulously groomed horse manes and detailed contours of their parakeet feathers, these creatures want to be proudly displayed. Adding animal sculptures to your bookcases can draw attention to your covetable collection of vintage monographs, while side tables and wall shelving also make great habitats for these ornamental animal figurines.

Some sculptures, however, can find suitable nests in just about any corner of your space. Whimsical brass flamingos or the violent, realist bronze lions created by Parisian sculptor Antoine-Louis Barye are provocative and versatile pieces that can rest on windowsills or your desk. Otherwise, the brass cat shoehorns and bronze porcupine ashtrays designed by Viennese artist Walter Bosse are no longer roaming aimlessly throughout your living room, as they’ve found a purpose to serve.

Embark on your safari today and find a fascinating collection of vintage, modern and antique animal sculptures on 1stDibs.