Italian Ceramics

Two maiolica pharmacy flasks Milan, Felice Clerici Manufacture, 1770-1780 They each measure 9.44 in (24 cm) in height x 6.10 in (15.5 cm) in diameter lb 4 (kg 1.8) State of conserva...

Pair of small coffee pots. Manufacture of Pasquale Rubati Milan, 1770 Circa Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire). a) height 7.87 x 5.51 x 3.93 in (20 x 14 x ...

Majolica pitcher Antonio Maria Coppellotti Manufacture Lodi, circa 1735 Majolica decorated in cobalt blue monochrome It measures 7.36 in hight x 8.07 x 4.52 (h 18.7 cm x 20.5 x 11.5...

Polychrome archaic majolica albarello, central Italy, 15th century Cylindrical body with wide upper mouth with everted rim, concave neck, and foot with flat base. Medium porous and...

A stylish pair antique South Italian Sicilian maiolica pottery shoe shaped flask dating from the 18th century. The handmade earthenware flask is modelled as a healed shoe in a clog f...

Six maiolica “ambrogette” (tiles) Rampini manufactory, painter probably Siro Antonio Africa Pavia, 1693-1704 a) 6.88 x 5.51 in (17.5 x 14 cm); 0.55 lb (252 g) b) 7.08 x 5.70 in (18 x 14.5 cm); 0.51 lb (233 g) c) 6.88 x 5.70 in (17.5 x 14.5 cm); 0.54 lb (245 g) d) 6.81 x 5.51 in (17.3 x 14 cm); 0.50 lb (230 g) e) 6.88 x 5.51 in (17.5 x 14 cm); 0.50 lb (229 g) f) 7.08 x 5.70 in (18 x 14.5 cm); 0.51 lb (233 g) State of conservation: intact. These six ”maiolica fina” small “ambrogette” belong to a family of ceramic works considered among the finest produced between the 17th and 18th centuries. For a long time, this type of maiolica was attributed to the Venetian village of Angarano, but later it was definitively attributed to the pottery factories in Pavia. A fundamental study ascribed this production specifically to Pavia through an analysis of Lombard collections and a comparison with archaeological remains found near the two main manufacturing sites in the city. (E. Pelizzoni - M. Forni - S. Nepoti, La maiolica di Pavia tra Seicento e Settecento, Milano 1997). The six small oval tiles have rounded edges and are decorated with a historiated motif. They were created using high-fired polychrome technique, with a predominance of cool tones and a dominance of gray and blue, interspersed with manganese, citrine yellow, orange-yellow, and green. The six small “ambrogette” are characterized by the same stylistic features, with a similar decorative design. The first tile (a) depicts a female figure, holding a stiletto and sitting near a pedestal supporting a relief-decorated baluster vase. Behind her, a child is holding a chalice, while through the arches of a portico, a glimpse of a mountainous landscape can be seen in the background. The female figure could possibly be Lucretia, an example of virtue in ancient Roman culture. In the second “ambrogetta” b), the Biblical episode of Judith and Holofernes is depicted through canonical iconography: the decapitated body of Holofernes lies on the bed in the background, while the protagonist, Judith, is seen placing his head into a sack held by a maidservant. Through an archway a shining slice of the moon gives the perception of nighttime. Surprisingly, within the narrative, there is the presence of a basin in the shape of a large shell, closely resembling the products of Pavia's factories. The third small plaque (c) depicts a female figure standing on a plinth and framed by an architectural arch with a vast mountainous landscape in the background. The woman, with her breasts exposed, is accompanied by two children: one approaching her as if wanting to be picked up, and the other seated with an apple in his hand. The protagonist lends herself to different interpretations: perhaps she represents Rea Silvia with the two twin founders of Rome, or perhaps she is an allegory for the Pietà, a common theme depicted on maiolica. In the fourth tile (d), three characters are depicted near a column. The main figure is an old man with a sad expression, holding a cup, while a woman, wearing a turban on her head, also holds a cup in her right hand and a pitcher in her left. A second woman with her hair bound holds another pitcher behind the old man: at his feet a traveller's bag can be seen, along with some apples and a slice of cheese on a rectangular base. It is likely the sad Biblical episode of Lot and his daughters...

Tabernacle plaque in polychrome majolica depicting the Madonna and Saint Anthony of Padua. Montelupo manufacture from the end of the 1600s applied on a wooden support, divided into t...

Tin Glazed Earthenware with vivid green and manganese brown decoration on buff clay with a clear lead glaze. Orvieto, Early 15th Century Circa 1420. Similar Example Found in The Louv...

Maiolica tureen Pasquale Rubati Manufacture Milan, circa 1770 - 1780 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire). It measures 6.69 in x 11,02 x 8.26 (17 x 28 x ...

Set of three large Italian Majolica plaques. Each of them painted with a different scenery. Italy, 18th century. Dimensions: Plaque with grouping Il...

Coffee pot Antonio Maria Coppellotti Manufacture Lodi, Circa 1740 High fire polychrome maiolica It measures: 7.87 in x 6,49 x 5.11 (20 cm x 16,5 x 13); weight 1.23 lb (561 g) ...

Two maiolica flower pots Antonio Ferretti Manufacture Lodi, Circa 1770 - 1780 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire) The...

Italy, 18th Century Ceramic hanging platter. Measures: Ø 34 x D 5 cm.

Acquareccia plate Patanazzi workshop Urbino, last quarter of the 16th century It measures diameter 17.12 in; foot diameter 11.53 in; height 1.88 in (43.5 cm; 29.3 cm; 4.8 cm). Weight State of conservation: wear and a few small minimal detachments of enamel, chipping on the raised areas, peeling of enamel at the brim on the back. This large, shallow basin is equipped with a wide and convex well. It is umbonate with a contoured center. The brim, short and flat, is enclosed in a double rounded and barely raised edge. The basin has a flat base without rims; it has a slightly concave center in correspondence to the well. The shape takes inspiration from the basins associated with the metal forged amphora pourers that traditionally adorned the credenza. These were used from the Middle Ages to wash hands during banquets. Two or three people washed their hands in the same basin and it was considered an honor to wash one’s hands with an illustrious person. The decoration is arranged in concentric bands with, in the center of the umbo, an unidentified shield on a blue background: an oval banded in gold with a blue head, a gold star and a field with a burning pitcher. Rings of faux pods separate the center from a series of grotesque motifs of small birds and masks. These go around the basin and are, in fact, faithfully repeated on the brim. The main decoration develops inside the flounce of the basin, which sees alternating symmetrical figures of winged harpies and chimeras. The ornamentation, outlined in orange, green and blue, stands out against the white enamel background. This decorative style, defined since the Renaissance as “grottesche” or “raffaellesche”, refers to the decorations introduced after the discovery of the paintings of the Domus Aurea towards the end of the fifteenth century. The discovery of Nero's palace, buried inside Colle Oppio by damnatio memoriae, occurred by chance when a young Roman, in 1480, fell into a large crack which had opened in the ground on the hill, thus finding himself in a cave with walls covered with painted figures. The great artists present in the papal city, including Pinturicchio, Ghirlandaio, Raffaello, immediately visited these caves. The decorations found there soon became a decorative subject of immense success: the term grotesque , with the meaning of “unusual,” “caricatured,” or “monstrous,” was later commented by Vasari in 1550 as “una spezie di pittura licenziose e ridicole molto”( “a very licentious and ridiculous kind of painting”). The decorations “a grottesche” also widely circulated in ceramic factories, through the use of engravings, variously interpreted according to the creativity of the artists or the requests of the client. Our basin is reflected in similar artifacts produced at the end of the sixteenth century by the factories of the Urbino district. See the series of basins preserved in the main French museums, among which the closest in morphology is that of the Campana collection of the Louvre (Inv. OA1496); this however has a more complex figure decoration, while the decoration of our specimen is sober and with a watercolor style. The style, sure in its execution, approaches decorative results still close to the works produced around the middle of the sixteenth century by the Fontana workshop. The decoration is closely linked to their taste, which later finds its natural outlet, through the work of Antonio, also in the Patanazzi workshop. Studies show the contiguity between the two workshops due to the kinship and collaboration between the masters Orazio Fontana and Antonio Patanazzi, both trained in the workshop of Guido Fontana il Durantino. It is therefore almost natural that their works, often created according to similar typologies and under the aegis of the same commissions, are not always easily distinguishable, so much so that the presence of historiated or “grottesche” works by Orazio is documented and preserved in Antonio Patanazzi's workshop. Given that the studies have always emphasized the collaboration between several hands in the context of the shops, it is known that the most ancient “grottesche” works thus far known, can be dated from 1560, when the Fontana shop created the so-called Servizio Spagnolo (Spanish Service) and how, from that moment on, this ornamentation became one of the most requested by high-ranking clients. We remember the works created for the Granduchi di Toscana, when Flaminio Fontana along with his uncle Orazio supplied ceramics to Florence, and, later, other commissions of considerable importance: those for the service of the Duchi d’Este or for the Messina Farmacia of Roccavaldina, associated with the Patanazzi workshop when, now after 1580, Antonio Patanazzi began to sign his own work. Thus, in our basin, the presence of masks hanging from garlands, a theme of more ancient memory, is associated in the work with more advanced stylistic motifs, such as the hatching of the chimeras and harpies. These are found here on the front with the wings painted in two ornate ways. In addition, the theme of the birds on the edge completes the decoration along the thin brim and can be seen as representing an early style typical of the Urbino district during a period of activity and collaboration between the two workshops. Later, a more “doll-like” decorative choice, typical of the end of the century and the beginning of the seventeenth century, characterized the period of the Patanazzi workshop under the direction of Francesco. Bibliography: Philippe Morel, Il funzionamento simbolico e la critica delle grottesche nella seconda metà del Cinquecento, in: Marcello Fagiolo, (a cura di), Roma e...

Maiolica sugar bowl Antonio Ferretti Manufacture Lodi, Circa 1770-1780 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire). It measures 3.54 x 4.52 x 3.54 in (9 x 11,5 x 9 cm) Weight: 0.394 lb (0.179 kg) State of conservation: small and slight chips on the edges. The small sugar bowl has a swollen and ribbed body resting on a flat base. The cap-shaped lid follows the rib of the container and is topped with a small knob in the shape of a two-colored fruit. The sugar bowl is painted “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire) with the characteristic floral motif of bunches and isolated semis. An example which closely corresponds to this one is kept at the Civic Museum in Lodi (G. Gregorietti, Maioliche di Lodi, Milano e Pavia, Catalogo della Mostra, Milano, 1964 n. 137). 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 later introduced by Antonio Ferretti to Italy. The 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 Ferretti family started their maiolica manufacturing business in Lodi in 1725. The forefather Simpliciano started the business by purchasing an ancient furnace in 1725 and, indeed, we have evidence of the full activity of the furnaces starting from April of the same year (Novasconi-Ferrari-Corvi, 1964, p. 26 n. 4). Simpliciano started a production of excellence also thanks to the ownership of clay quarries in Stradella, not far from Pavia. The production was so successful that in 1726 a decree of the Turin Chamber came to prohibit the importation of foreign ceramics, especially from Lodi, to protect internal production (G. Lise, La ceramica a Lodi, Lodi 1981, p. 59). In its initial stages, the manufacture produced maolicas painted with the “a gran fuoco” (double fire) technique, often in turquoise monochrome, with ornamentation derived from compositional modules in vogue in Rouen in France. This was also thanks to the collaboration of painters like Giorgio Giacinto Rossetti, who placed his name on the best specimens next to the initials of the factory. In 1748 Simpliciano made his will (Gelmini, 1995, p. 30) appointing his son Giuseppe Antonio (known as Antonio) as universal heir. After 1750, when Simpliciano passed away, Antonio was directly involved in the maiolica factory, increasing its fortunes and achieving a reputation on a European level. Particularly important was the aforementioned introduction in 1760 of the innovative “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire) processing, which, expanding the ornamental repertoire with Saxon-inspired floral themes, was able to commercially compete with the German porcelains that had one of its most renowned offerings in the naturalistic Deutsche Blumen. Antonio Ferretti understood and promoted this technique and this decoration, proposing it in a fresher and more corrective version, less linked to botanical tables, both with or without contour lines, as well as in purple or green monochrome. After efforts to introduce more industrial production techniques to the sector succeeded, even the Ferretti manufacture, in the last decade of the eighteenth century, started heading towards decline despite its attempts to adapt production to neoclassical tastes. In 1796 the Napoleonic battle for the conquest of the Lodi bridge over the Adda definitively compromised the furnaces. Production resumed, albeit in a rather stunted manner, until Antonio's death on 29 December 1810. (M. L. Gelmini, pp. 28-30, 38, 43 sgg., 130-136 (for Simpliciano); pp. 31 sgg., 45-47, 142-192 (for Antonio). Bibliography G. Gregorietti, Maioliche di Lodi Milano e Pavia Catalogo della Mostra, Milano, 1964 n. 137; 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; L. Ciboldi, La maiolica lodigiana, in Archivio storico lodigiano, LXXX (1953), pp. 25 sgg.; 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.; G. C. Sciolla, Lodi. Museo civico, Bologna 1977, pp. 69-85 passim; G. Lise, La ceramica a Lodi, Lodi 1981; M. Vitali, in Storia dell'arte ceramica...

Maiolica flower pot “a mezzaluna” decorated with trompe l’oeil Pasquale Rubati Factory Milan, 1770 circa It measures: 4.7 in (cm 12) X 5 in (...

Italian Maiolica Crespina a Compendiario style, Central Italy, Late 17th century This Crispina has a convex shape on the front and a concave shape on the back, resting on a small ...

Sick cup Pasquale Rubati Manufacture Milan, Circa 1770 - 1780 Maiolica decorated in polychrome “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire) It measures: h 2.36 x 7.4 x 7.87 (h 6 x 19 x 20 cm) ...

Coffee assortment with “barbotine” decoration Manufacture of Pasquale Rubati or Felice Clerici Milan, 1770- 1780 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire). ...

A coffee pot and two cups with saucers Antonio Ferretti Manufacture Lodi, Circa 1765-1770 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire). They measure: coffee pot: 9....

Maiolica flower pot “a mezzaluna” with support feet decorated with little bunches of flowers Pasquale Rubati Factory Milan, circa 1770 5.5 in X ...

Maiolica tureen “allo struzzo” (ostrich decoration) Milan, Felice Clerici or Pasquale Rubati factory, circa 1750-1780 Measures: 9.25 in x 12.79 in x 10.23 in (cm 23.5 x cm 32.5 x cm 26) lb 4.78 (kg 2.17) State of conservation, a felûre consolidated inside with slight edge chipping restored. In Milan in the 18th century two Majolica warehouses were opened, the first, by Felice Clerici, in 1745, the second in 1756 by Pasquale Rubati. Traditionally this type of decoration has been attributed to the Pasquale Rubati factory. In reality the motif “allo struzzo”, one of the clearest examples of how the taste for chinoiserie met with considerable success during the 18th century, had been produced, in specimens of greater or lesser quality, by both Milanese manufactories. This Maiolica tureen has a swollen and ribbed oval bowl, rests on an extroflexed foot and shows stirrup handles. The tri-color ornament, in the typical tones of Japanese "Imari" decorations, shows an idealized oriental landscape that develops around a perforated rock and has a willow tree with long lance-shaped leaves framing the long-legged bird figure. The ornamentation is enhanced by decorative elements such as butterflies, small florets and a vase with a thin flowery stem. The lid is ribbed with a pear-shaped knob on top. The decoration was called in the Milanese manufactories "allo struzzo" (ostrich decoration) and this refers to the oriental figure Xian He or the crane, symbol of longevity, here losing its symbolic value. It is hypothesized that among some 16th century engravings...

An Italian Baroque Castelli albarllo, also known as a pharmacy or drug jar. It held 'Benedict Laxat' listed as far back as Aristotle as a medication used in by midwives. Beautifully decorated with buildings in landscapes in the free, almost impressionistic style typical of Castelli Maiolica...

19th century Italian Majolica dish with Renaissance figures Superb highly decorated Italian Majolica plate with hand a hand painted scene of Roman mythology; The abduction of Sabine...

Maiolica pitcher Antonio Ferretti Manufacture Lodi, circa 1770-1780 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire). It measures 8.66 x 8.66 x 4.33 in (22 x 22 x 11 ...

Maiolica puerperal cup Antonio Ferretti Manufacture Lodi, Circa 1770 - 1780 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire). It measures: 4.3 x 6.8 x 5.3 in (11 x 17,5 x 13,5 cm) Weight: 0.78 lb (358 g) State of conservation: some closed pass-through fêlures on the cup, barely visible on the outside. Some use chips on the edge of the lid, two of which are more marked. From about the mid-sixteenth century, the puerperal soup tureen or puerperal cup became one of the most popular wedding gifts in central Italy. As an auspicious symbol, it replaced the birth table (“desco da parto”) which, on the occasion of high-ranking marriages, from the thirteenth century, had been painted by famous artists, especially in Tuscany. In France this same tureen is called "écuelle de mariée", as it is given to spouses as a sign of fertility. During the eighteenth century this custom spread even outside Italy to all social levels. Depending on availability and rank, it was made of different materials: precious metals, maiolica, porcelain, glass, pewter, etc. Beginning in the mid-twentieth century, the custom of this symbolic homage gradually disappeared, although famous designers such as Gio Ponti and Giuseppe Gariboldi, even as recently as the 1940s, revisited a model of a small puerperal soup bowl for the Ginori and, also in Italy in 1940, in a national competition for young potters, one of the themes of the test was indeed a modern model of a puerperal cup as an auspicious gift. This particular cup was also called a "service cup" or "puerperal vase" or "stuffed cup" - the windows were sealed with straw to prevent drafts of air for women in labor. In the eighteenth century the line of the puerpera cup was simplified, so much so that it took the form of a small tureen with two handles - the typical broth cup...

Two pairs of maiolica baskets Antonio Ferretti Manufacture Lodi, circa 1770-1790 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire). Measures: A) Height 3.54 x 6.69 x 9.84 in (9 x 17 x 25 cm); B) Height 3.93 x 7.48 x 11.02 in (10 x 19 x 28 cm). Total weight 4.85 lb (2.200 kg) State of conservation: A) One of the smaller baskets has some areas of restoration, the other slight chipping from use; B) One of the larger baskets is intact and the other shows a clearly glued break. The mold with which the baskets were forged simulates a wicker weave. The two larger works have high, vertical walls, with branch-shaped handles penetrating the weave. The painted decorations, small polychrome flowers applied only externally, highlight the points where the weaves intersect. The decision to leave the center of the basket devoid of decoration is highly unusual, but given the size and complexity of the shape, as well as the quality of the enamel, it is possible to hypothesize that it represents a precise choice in manufacturing or for a particular client. The two smaller baskets have small, twisted handles and, on the outside, reproduce more decisively the characteristic wicker weave, obtained through thin molded lines. The interior exhibits a rich, typical decoration of naturalistic flowers: a bunch centered around a main flower and secondary stems accompanied by small “semis”. The exterior of these works is also adorned with small little flowers where the weaves intersect. The size and morphological characteristics of the baskets confirm their attribution to the Lodi factory of Antonio Ferretti between 1770 and 1790, during its most successful period; by this point his original reworking of the "Strasbourg" decoration, known as "old Lodi", had achieved great fame even outside Italy. This decorative choice 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 Ferretti family had started their maiolica manufacturing business in Lodi in 1725. The forefather Simpliciano had started the business by purchasing an ancient furnace in 1725 and, indeed, we have evidence of the full activity of the furnaces from April of the same year (Novasconi-Ferrari-Corvi, 1964, p. 26 n. 4). Simpliciano had started a production of excellence also thanks to the ownership of clay quarries in Stradella, not far from Pavia. The production was so successful that in 1726 a decree of the Turin Chamber came to prohibit the importation of foreign ceramics, especially from Lodi, to protect internal production (G. Lise, La ceramica a Lodi, Lodi 1981, p. 59). In its initial stages, the manufacture produced maolicas painted with the “a gran fuoco” (double fire) technique, often in turquoise monochrome, with ornamentation derived from compositional modules in vogue in Rouen in France. This was also thanks to the collaboration of painters like Giorgio Giacinto Rossetti, who placed his name on the best specimens next to the initials of the factory. In 1748 Simpliciano made his will (Gelmini, 1995, p. 30) appointing his son Giuseppe Antonio (known as Antonio) as universal heir. After 1750, when Simpliciano passed away, Antonio was directly involved in the maiolica factory, increasing its fortunes and achieving a reputation on a European level. Particularly important was the aforementioned introduction in 1760 of the innovative “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire) processing, which, expanding the ornamental repertoire with Saxon-inspired floral themes, could commercially compete with the German porcelains that had one of its most renowned offerings in the naturalistic Deutsche Blumen. Antonio Ferretti understood and promoted this technique and this decoration, proposing it in a fresher and more corrective version, less linked to botanical tables...

Maiolica plate (tondino) Urbino district, Casteldurante or Pesaro, 1533-1555 It measures: diam. 7.48 in (19 cm), foot diam. 2.75 in (7 cm), height 1.0...

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 4.5...

Small oval tray Felice Clerici Manufactory 1745-1780 Milan, Circa 1770-1780 Maiolica polychrome. Dimensions: 10.82 x 8.66 in (27.5 x 22 cm); weight 0.4...

Pharmacy jug. Faenza, Italy. Majolica painted in blue monochrome, on a blue enameled background called berettino and tints of tin white.

Pair of maiolica tureens Antonio Ferretti Manufacture Lodi, circa 1770-1780 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire). a – 8.66 x 11.02 x 7.48 in (22 x 28 x 19...

SHIPPING POLICY: No additional costs will be added to this order. Shipping costs will be totally covered by the seller (customs duties included). The centre painted with archaic de...

In the past, this pair of beautiful ceramics carafes, was utilized in a Pharmacy to contain erbs and spices infusions. The carafes shows all signs of the time, but they remain a pai...

The decoration of ceramics in blue tones on a white background was common in Europe as far back as the 17th century (Dutch and English pieces, works in Talavera de la Reina in Spain,...

Maiolica flower pot “a mezzaluna” decorated with trompe l’oeil Pasquale Rubati Factory Milan, circa 1770 Measures: each 4.7 in (cm 12) x 5 in (c...

Maiolica tureen Antonio Ferretti Manufacture Lodi, circa 1770-1780 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire). It measures 9.05 x 12.59 x 9.05 in (23 x 32 x 23 cm) ...

An antique Italian hand painted Savona tin glazed syrup jar inscribed AQUA DE PIANTAGNE dating from the early 18th century, the rounded earthenware jar stand...

Five oval maiolica dishes with pierced edge Manufacture of Pasquale Rubati Milan, 1770-1780 Three small oval dishes 10.23 in x 7.67 in (26 cm x 19.5 cm) Two large oval dishes 10.82 in x 8.85 in (27.5 x 22.5 cm) lb 3.5 (kg 1.8) State of conservation: intact The five dishes of different sizes have an oval shape, a mixtilinear edge and a molded polylobed shape with a surface enriched with a relief weave motif extending to the brim and forming a perforated basket...

An extraordinary azure maiolica dish in the Farnese service, made by Castelli d'Abuzzo between 1580 and 1589. In the peak of the High Renaissance, Cardinal Alessandro Farnese commissioned a dinner service from the Castelli maiolica...

Maiolica flower pot “a mezzaluna” decorated with garlands of flowers Pasquale Rubati Factory Milan, circa 1770 Measures: 4.7 in x 5 in x 8.8 in ...

Maiolica dish, "Famille Rose" and gold decoration Felice Clerici factory Milan, 1770-1780 8.93 in (22.27 cm) in diameter lb 0.66 (kg 0.3) State of conservation: perfect, except for ...

Assortment of 12 elements with polychrome and gold decoration Pasquale Rubati Factory Milan, circa 1770- 1790. Two oval trays 10.62 in x 8.58 in (27 x 21.8 cm) Two dishes with perf...

Maiolica flower pot “a mezzaluna” decorated with tulip Pasquale Rubati Factory Milan, circa 1770. Measures: 4.7 in x 4.7 in x 8.6 in 12 cm x 12...

Assortment of bottle and glass coolers in Maiolica. Pasquale Rubati manufacture Milan, circa 1770 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire) a - Bottle cooler 5.91 in x 5.91 in diameter (15 x 15 cm ) Weight: 1.86 lb (845 g) b - Bottle cooler 6.89 x 7.87 in diameter (17,5 x 20 cm) Weight: 2.09 lb (948 g) c - Pair of glass-cooler vases 3.94 x 3.94 in diameter (10 x 10 cm) Weight: 1.43 lb (650 g) Good state of conservation: a - some chipping from use on the edge; a - two fêlures covered on the edge; c - one has deep chippings on the edge and the other a subtle fêlure. Two Majolica factories were active in Milan in the 18th century. The first, starting from 1745, was owned by Felice Clerici; the other one by Pasquale Rubati from 1756. Rubati was in competition with Felice, whose worker he had been prior to opening his own workshop. On his death in 1796, the business was continued for a few more years by his son Carlo. Recent studies have recognized Pasquale Rubati's contribution as the creator of "Strasbourg-style" decorations with their particularly joyful depictions. This style had previously been attributed to the Lodi manufacturers. These works here, however, are a clear example of this production. The Majolica containers have different sizes, a cylindrical shape and rest on a low foot ring. The two largest are completed by handles in the shape of a zoomorphic mask with wide open jaws, while the smaller ones have handles applied with an anthropomorphic mask. All the works are characterized by elegant floral decoration. The two twin glass coolers show bunches of flowers centered around a main corolla, a rose or a peony paired...

In the past, this pair of very beautiful ceramics carafes, was utilized in a Pharmacy to contain erbs and spices infusions. The carafes show all signs of the time, they remain a pai...

Italian, late 18th century watch holder with Father Time. The robed figure of Father Time is standing on a raised plinth with rocks and a koi fish or carp....

Assortment of 21 maiolica service elements Pasquale Rubati Factory Milan, 1780 circa a. Four large oval dishes or fish dishes 10.43 in x 21.25 in (26.5 c...

Assortment of 4 dishes with braided rim Antonio Ferretti Manufacture Lodi, circa 1770-1780 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire). Measures: 14 x 10 in (35.5 x 25.5 cm); 12.2 x 8.39 in (31 x 21.3 cm); 10.4 x 9.65 in (26.5 x 24.5 cm); 10.8 x 9.61 in (27.5 x 24.4 cm). Weight: 4.4 lb (1.998 kg) State of conservation: some chips due to use on the edges and on the parts in relief. The four different dishes have a foot with a low lip from which extends a wide, flat, slanted rim resembling a basket weave. The small handles are painted green: they resemble wickerwork in the two oval dishes and take the form of a sinuous branch in the round ones. The third fire decoration is inspired by the naturalistic floral botanical patterns on the ceramics produced by the Hannong family in Strasbourg. Here the pattern is defined by the rapidity and subtlety of the brushstrokes and the result is particularly tasteful, characterized by compositional intelligence and pictorial expertise. A main corolla, either a wild or garden rose, is set slightly off center in each well. From this extends a thin stem holding a small secondary bud and there are small field florets dotting the composition to lend volume to the delicate bunch of flowers. On the brim, small polychrome flowers add color to the weave, accompanied by lanceolate leaves of a very intense green. There exist few and very rare examples for comparison with this morphology: a round plate - entirely consistent with those in question - has been dated to around 1775 (S. Levy, Maioliche settecentesche lombarde e venete, Milano 1962, tav. 200). Two other dishes with a basket rim, but with parallel striped brim decoration, were exhibited in the 1995 exhibition on Lodi ceramics; the attribution to the Lombard town near Milan is therefore almost exclusively derived from the decoration called "alla rosa contornata" or "alla vecchia Lodi" and constitutes one of the most popular decorations during the eighteenth century. (M. L. Gelmini, in Maioliche lodigiane del '700 (cat. mostra Lodi), Milano 1995, pp. 31 p. 162-163 nn. 181-182). This decorative choice 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 Ferretti family had started their Maiolica manufacturing business in Lodi in 1725. The forefather Simpliciano had started the business by purchasing an ancient furnace in 1725 and, indeed, we have evidence of the full activity of the furnaces from April of the same year (Novasconi-Ferrari-Corvi, 1964, p. 26 n. 4). Simpliciano had started a production of excellence also thanks to the ownership of clay quarries in Stradella, not far from Pavia. The production was so successful that in 1726 a decree of the Turin Chamber came to prohibit the importation of foreign ceramics, especially from Lodi, to protect internal production (G. Lise, La ceramica a Lodi, Lodi 1981, p. 59). In its initial stages, the manufacture produced maolicas painted with the “a gran fuoco” (double fire) technique, often in turquoise monochrome, with ornamentation derived from compositional modules in vogue in Rouen in France. This was also thanks to the collaboration of painters like Giorgio Giacinto Rossetti, who placed his name on the best specimens next to the initials of the factory. In 1748 Simpliciano made his will (Gelmini, 1995, p. 30) appointing his son Giuseppe Antonio (known as Antonio) as universal heir. After 1750, when Simpliciano passed away, Antonio was directly involved in the Maiolica factory, increasing its fortunes and achieving a reputation on a European level. Particularly important was the aforementioned introduction in 1760 of the innovative “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire) processing, which, expanding the ornamental repertoire with Saxon-inspired floral themes, could commercially compete with the German porcelains that had one of its most renowned offerings in the naturalistic Deutsche Blumen. Antonio Ferretti understood and promoted this technique and this decoration, proposing it in a fresher and more corrective version, less linked to botanical tables...

Crespina Faenza, last quarter of the 16th century Maiolica painted in two colors, light blue and yellow, on a thick, rich layer of white enamel. It measures 2.24 in (5.7 cm) in height, 6.10 in (15.5 cm) in diameter. lb 0.55 (kg 0.25) State of conservation: mimetic restoration. The small cup has a raised central “umbone”, a perforated brim and a shaped rim. It rests on a high jutting foot. The "crespina" shape, in some inventories is cited as "tacce de frute" (fruit cups). It was particularly appreciated in the Renaissance and has variants based on the formal types and the different sizes. The decoration, made according to the dictates of the “compendiario” style, used few standardized colors: blue and yellow on a thick white and shiny enamel, deliberately chosen as the colour which was most reminiscent of silver. This choice derived from a trend in creative design of the era: the shapes used in the molds were often taken from metal objects. An idea which would last throughout the Renaissance. The work shows, in the middle of the “umbone”, a winged putto stepping forward while playing a long thin trumpet. The depiction of the putto is fully representative of the repertoire of the Faenza workshops of the sixteenth century. Some specimens with this type of decoration have been published in a volume by Carmen Ravanelli Guidotti: there appears the whole productive repertoire of this fundamental moment of transition between the taste for the “istoriato” style and the great simplification of decoration in the “compendiario” period. This style, in its simplicity, however, saw its expression in a rather varied collection of decorative subjects, including old-fashioned busts...

Centerpiece light blue maiolica shell Ferniani factory, early period: 1693-1776 Faenza, 1700 circa 5.5 in x 14.72 in x 13.77 in (14 cm x 37.4 cm X cm 35) lb 4.40 (kg 2) State of con...

Centerpiece white maiolica shell Ferniani factory, early period: 1693-1776 Faenza, circa 1700 Measures: 5.6 in x 14.72 in x 13.46 in (14.3 cm x 37.4...

Maiolica centerpiece Pasquale Antonibon factory Nove di Bassano, Venice, 1740-1770. Measures: 1.85 in x 19.21 in x 15.27 in 4.7 cm X 48.8 cm X 38.8 cm. lb 5.29 (kg 2.4) State of conservation: thin passing fêlure with covered chipping and a glued foot The Antonibon were an important family of Venetian...

Two maiolica dishes, "Famille Rose" decoration Felice Clerici Factory Milan, 1770-1780 9.13 in (23.2 cm) each in diameter lb 1.32 (kg 0.6) State of conservation: perfect, except for...

Pair of Savona platters, the serpentine floral borders around the classical scenes. Tower mark on reverse; two hanging holes.

Maiolica flower pot “a mezzaluna” Pasquale Rubati Factory Milan, 1770 Circa They measure: height 6.2 in x 8.66 x 5.31 (15,8 cm x 22 x 13,5) Weigh...