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Ancient Maiolica Dishes with flowers, Lombard Manufacture, 1770-1780 Circa

About the Item

Assortment of dishes Lombard manufacture 1770 – 1780 Circa Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire). Two large dishes: diameter 14.76 in (37.5 cm); weight 4.56 lb (2.07 kg). Seven small dishes: diameter 9.44 in (24 cm); weight 5.73 lb (2.60 kg). State of conservation: the dishes are intact, except for the presence in some specimens of a few slight cracks and small chips due to use. The maiolica and porcelain factories of the eighteenth century belonged mainly to the great royal families or to the noble families who made the manufacture of ceramic works a motif of prestige. In Milan, under Maria Theresa of Austria, we instead witness a real opening to new industrialists who, by virtue of the privatization granted by the government, took on real business risks and gave life, even amid conflict between them, to flourishing factories. It was here that there was to be some of the most elegant and sought-after production of the moment, artworks which still remain objects of collection today. In Milan in the 18th century, two majolica factories were active. This assortment of dishes consists of two large dishes and seven smaller ones. All the pieces are fully enamelled and apod. The shape, while recalling the typical morphology of eighteenth-century Lodi and Milanese production, is distinguished by some details on the rim and the inner edge around the center. The assortment is characterized by very precise naturalistic floral decoration with a rather striking bluish, almost emerald green, tone along with an abundant use of purple among other colours. The decoration, referred to in contemporary inventories as “Strasbourg-style flowers”, is actually very similar to the French examples. The ornamental design is focused on a main bouquet characterized by a dominant larger flower from which secondary branches with fewer flowers extend; in a more secluded position, complimentary elements, such as small roses and wildflowers appear. The minor wildflowers - such as Myosotis or "Forget-me-nots", the buttercup, the cornflower, the bellflower - leave room for the main flowers, such as roses, carnations, precious tulips or even hibiscus flowers, which were introduced to Europe only in the eighteenth century: the decorative motif therefore favours specimens with a large corolla in full bloom. This decorative style represented a strong point of the Lodi factory, which established itself thanks to the vivid nature of the colors made possible by the introduction of a new technique perfected by Paul Hannong in Strasbourg and which Antonio Ferretti introduced in Italy. This production process, called “piccolo fuoco” (third fire), allowed the use of a greater number of colors than in the past; in particular, the purple of Cassius, a red made from gold chloride, was introduced. Its use allowed for many more tones and shades, from pink to purple. The aforementioned introduction in 1760 of the innovative “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire) technique enabled the expansion of the ornamental repertoire by offering Saxon-inspired floral themes and allowed the factory to commercially compete with the German porcelains, which had one of its most renowned offerings in the naturalistic Deutsche Blumen. Antonio Ferretti understood and promoted this technique, as well as this decorative style, both of which were later adopted by the other factories in Lombardy with slightly different formal and decorative offerings. These versions, however, remained very close to the originals, as our nine dishes demonstrate. In fact, these can be placed among the Lodi production and represent precise examples of the ceramics which the Milanese manufacture of Pasquale Rubati placed on the market. Bibliography C. Baroni, Storia delle ceramiche nel Lodigiano, in Archivio storico per la città e i comuni del circondario e della diocesi di Lodi, XXXIV (1915), pp. 118, 124, 142; XXXV (1916), pp. 5-8; C. Baroni, La maiolica antica di Lodi, in Archivio storico lombardo, LVIII (1931), pp. 453-455; S. Levy, Maioliche settecentesche lombarde e venete, Milano 1962, pp. 17 sgg.; A. Novasconi - S. Ferrari - S. Corvi, La ceramica lodigiana, Lodi 1964, ad Indicem; Maioliche di Lodi, Milano e Pavia (catal.), Milano 1964, p. 17; O. Ferrari - G. Scavizzi, Maioliche italiane del Seicento e del Settecento, Milano 1965, pp. 26 sgg.; M. Vitali, in Storia dell'arte ceramica, Bologna 1986, p. 251; M. A. Zilocchi, in Settecento lombardo, Milano 1991, pp. 492-496; M. L. Gelmini, in Maioliche lodigiane del '700 (cat. mostra Lodi), Milano 1995, pp. 31 ss., 45-47, 142-192; R. Ausenda (a cura di), Musei e Gallerie di Milano. Museo d’Arti Applicate. Le ceramiche. Tomo secondo, Milano 2000, pp. 213-220; Felice Ferrari, La ceramica di Lodi, Lodi 2003.

Dimensions:

Height: 1.19 in (3 cm)Diameter: 14.77 in (37.5 cm)

Sold As:

Set of 9

Style:

Rococo (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Maiolica,Glazed

Place of Origin:

Italy

Period:

1770-1779