19th Century Hand Painted Majolica Platter from Italy

From Italy, this imposing antique hand-painted Majolica vase with handles is nearly 39 inches high. It is mainly a figural vase in style, ha...

This stunning lidded urn might have once been found in a 19th century Italian apothecary. The front of the shaped urn body has the hand-painted phrase “C. Violaru”, which is the heavily abbreviated form of the Latin word for violet (violaceum). Up until the mid-1700’s, apothecaries would make syrups from violets and use it to treat kidney ailments. Above the Latin wording is a whimsical musical scene with a man blowing a horn leading a couple who is holding hands over rocky terrain lined with shrubbery. A large house and trees can be seen behind the trio with a pair of mountains in the distance. On the opposite side of the urn is a floral display with a bird perched on a rock. Beneath the bird is a geometric design, possibly a stylized sun with radiating beams of light. Both scenes are segmented by a pair of thin quarter round moldings that encircle the entire vase. Other hand-painted motifs include floral and foliate margents, geometric patterns, and Vitruvian waves that are infilled with horizontal fluting. The sides of the urn have a fish-scale background beneath two mustachioed mascarons. Both men have been styled in grotesque fashion, with a pair of spiraled horns emanating from their heads. In between the horns is a looping handle that is affixed to the body in similar tight spirals. The domed lid has three scrolled arms that merge in a geometric finial. The base color of the urn is white, with illustrations in a monochromatic cobalt oxide blue, reminiscent of Delft blue pottery...

Rouen, located in the region of Normandy, just outside of Paris, has been at the center of French faience production since the mid-1500s. This lovely hand-painted jardiniere (circa 1...

This colorful antique Italian Majolica vase dates to the 1800s. This type of pottery was first produced during the Italian Renaissance, and it often depicted historical and mythologi...

This beautiful antique ceramic dish was crafted in Normandy, France, circa 1880. The stylized ceramic plate has a scalloped edge and depicts a han...

Decorate a wall or a shelf with this colorful antique platter. Created in Brittany, France circa 1895, the large hand painted ceramic plate depicts a Breton couple in traditional cos...

14 piece highly-decorative French hand painted faience fish service, featuring lobsters, crabs, fish and other sea life. The service consists of a platter (about 24" long and 10 ½" w...

Beautifully Decorated Majolica Urn