Miniature Italian Chick Porcelain Capodimonte Circa 1880
View Similar Items
Miniature Italian Chick Porcelain Capodimonte Circa 1880
About the Item
- Creator:Capodimonte (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 1.3 in (3.31 cm)Width: 1.3 in (3.31 cm)Depth: 0.9 in (2.29 cm)
- Style:Rustic (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1880
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Austin, TX
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2379336201532
Capodimonte
If success is measured by lasting name recognition, Capodimonte porcelain would seem to be in the same league as such makers as Meissen, Sèvres and Wedgwood. Early examples of the Italian manufacturer’s celebrated porcelain vases, figurines and sculptures can be hard to come by, but the best later pieces possess the same over-the-top charm.
The Real Fabbrica (“royal factory”) di Capodimonte hasn’t actually produced porcelain since the early 19th century, when Charles’s son Ferdinand sold it. Although secondary manufacturers have built upon the aesthetic and kept the name alive, some connoisseurs of the royal product feel these pieces should be labeled “in the style of” Capodimonte.
The timeline of royal Capodimonte porcelain is decidedly brief. From beginning to end, its manufacture lasted approximately 75 years. King Charles VII of Naples, who founded the manufactory in 1743, began experimenting with porcelain around 1738, the year he married Maria Amalia of Saxony. No coincidence there. His new bride was the granddaughter of Augustus the Strong, Elector of Saxony and founder of Meissen, the first European hard-paste porcelain manufactory. Her dowry included 17 Meissen table services.
Struck by porcelain fever, Charles built a dedicated facility on top of a hill (capo di monte) overlooking Naples. He financed expeditions to search for the right clay. He hired chemists and artisans to experiment. His earliest successes were small white snuffboxes and vases, although efforts soon progressed to full sets of tableware, decorative objects and stylized figurines of peasants and theatrical personalities.
In 1759, Charles succeeded to the throne of Spain. He moved the manufactory with him — including 40 workers and 4 tons of clay — and continued operations in Madrid. Twelve years later, his son Ferdinand IV, who inherited the throne of Naples, built a new factory there that became known for distinctly rococo designs.
The Napoleonic wars interrupted production, and around 1807, oversight of the royal factories was transferred to a franchisee named Giovanni Poulard-Prad.
Beginning in the mid-18th century, porcelain made by Charles’s factory was stamped with a fleur-de-lis, usually in underglaze blue. Pieces from Ferdinand’s were stamped with a Neapolitan N topped by a crown. When secondary manufacturers began production, they retained this mark, in multiple variations. The value of these later 19th- and 20th-century pieces is determined by the quality, not the Capodimonte porcelain marks.
Find antique and vintage Capodimonte porcelain on 1stDibs.
- Miniature Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Frog Circa 1930By Royal CopenhagenLocated in Austin, TXMiniature Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Frog Circa 1930.Category
Vintage 1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Animal Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Majolica Terracotta Hen and Chicks Bavent, circa 1920By BaventLocated in Austin, TXLarge terracotta hen and his two chicks from Normandy, circa 1920. Country style. Measure: Hen / 13.8" height, 19" length on 7". Chicks / 4.5", 5.5" on 3".Category
Vintage 1920s French Rustic Garden Ornaments
MaterialsTerracotta
- German Porcelain Pig Circa 1900Located in Austin, TXFine German Porcelain Pig Circa 1900. H / 3 inches. L / 5.5 inches.Category
Antique Early 1900s German Rustic Animal Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
- Porcelain White & Brown Cow Creamer Circa 1930Located in Austin, TXPorcelain White & Brown cow creamer Circa 1930.Category
Vintage 1930s French Rustic Serving Pieces
MaterialsPorcelain
- Porcelain White & Black Cow Creamer Circa 1930Located in Austin, TXPorcelain white & black cow creamer circa 1930.Category
Vintage 1930s French Rustic Serving Pieces
MaterialsPorcelain
- French Majolica Porcelain Hen Circa 1930Located in Austin, TXFrench rustic Majolica Porcelain Hen Circa 1930. H / 11.5 inches.Category
Vintage 1930s French Country Animal Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain, Ceramic, Faience
- Italian Porcelain Musician Angel by CapodimonteBy CapodimonteLocated in Casale Monferrato, ITBeautiful musician angel in fine porcelain by Capodimonte, circa 1980s. White color with golden details. Refined collectible ornament. Brand present at the base.Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Italian Porcelain Set of 2 Figurines by CapodimonteBy CapodimonteLocated in Casale Monferrato, ITBeautiful set of 2 italian fine porcelain hand painting figurines by Capodimonte, circa 1990s. Brand present at the base. Two small defects, one of the boy's fingers and the girl's h...Category
1990s Italian Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- Italian Large Capodimonte Hand Painted Camel Porcelain, 1950sBy CapodimonteLocated in Byron Bay, NSWStunning rare large Capodimonte hand painted porcelain sculpture. Capodimonte porcelain is a type of Italian porcelain that originated in Naples in the mid-18th century. It is known...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Art Deco Animal Sculptures
MaterialsPorcelain
$3,200 Sale Price20% Off - Capodimonte Pharaoh Tutankhamon in PorcelainBy CapodimonteLocated in Antwerp, BEGreat sculpture representing Pharaoh TutanKhamon in Capodimonte Italia porcelain decorated and designed by Mario Pegorami is one of the most important artists representing the ancien...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Busts
MaterialsPorcelain, Wood
- 19th Century Italian Antique Porcelain Sculpture by CapodimonteBy CapodimonteLocated in Casale Monferrato, ITBeautiful sculptural group in refined Capodimonte porcelain. A young mother walks with her little girls accompanied by a tender fawn. Please note the sweetness expressed by this rare...Category
Antique 1880s Italian Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain
- 19th Century Italian Antique Porcelain Sculpture by CapodimonteBy CapodimonteLocated in Casale Monferrato, ITBeautiful pair of statues in refined Capodimonte porcelain. Two young girls dancing. Characterized by elegant eighteenth-century dresses with full lace skirts completely made in porc...Category
Antique 1880s Italian Porcelain
MaterialsPorcelain