Maiolica Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass

Coppia Di Piatti In Maiolica italiana XVIII secolo Con Decoro Al Garofano Manifattura Ferniani Faenza dipinti in policromia, nei toni del blu, bruno, giallo, rosso, arancio e verde. ...

Manifattura San Carlo della Real Fabbrica di Caserta - Serving dish in Moustiers style with scalloped edge decorated in ocher and green monochrome with a medallion in the center of t...

Alhambra vase by La Ceramo, Valencia desde 1889. Early 20th century Hispano-Moresque lusterware vase The model of this vase is an 20th century produc...

Very large albarello with polychrome decoration called “al tacchiolo” of foliage with stylized flowers. Marked under the base: “N°20 Pesaro, 18th century. Fabbrica Casali Callegari ...

A superb antique relief moulded Continental Maiolica dish or plaque relief moulded with a side profile portrait of a figure wearing a military helmet and with the words DUX D'URBINUS...

huge French Majolica Fish Platter Sarreguemines 1950s in very good condition German : Saargemünd / French Sarreguemines) is situated in the north-east of France, on the border wi...

Large tin-glazed earthenware lebrillo/ basin, form Triana, Seville, Spain 19th century Central design of a dog within in colorful background in yellow, turquoise, manganese and blue.

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 ...

Rare early 16th century Mudejar tile of the so-called ‘Aristo’ or 'cuerda secca' technique Geometric design with a central intertwining cords. Very ornate decoration. This type of...

Imposing antique vase in Italian majolica, Mid-19th century. With very fine hand painted classic scenes and grotesque faces embossed to the sides on each handle. Similar vases are ke...

A set of four early Arista y Cuenca tiles from Toledo, Spain, dating to circa 1550–1575. These tiles were produced during the Spanish Renaissance, a period when Toledo was a major ce...

Early Arista y Cuenca tile, most likely made in Sevilla. Azulejo tile decorated with a gemetric pattern with 4 central leafs within a cirlce. Mid 16th century In very good conditi...

Majolica apothecary jug. Savona manufacture, second half 17th century. In monochrome majolica, ovoid body with a high cylindrical neck that opens into a large mouth with an everted...

Rare late 15th or early 16th century Mudejar tile of the so-called ‘Arista’ technique with intricate geometric decoration. Good condition; some chipping to the edges, some wear to ...

Cantagalli Maiolica Plate with Heraldic Emblem Cantagalli Factory, Florence, Late 19th Century Tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica); polychrome decoration This large maiolica plate was...

Set of 4 early Arista y cuenca tiles made in Toledo. Tile decorated in renaissance with stylized flowers, probably made between 1550 and 1575. condition: 3 are in very good conditi...

The dish has a broad, gently sloping rim and is decorated in blue with a freely painted floral arrangement in a vase at the center, enclosed within a double circle. The rim is richly...

Ceramic mortar produced at the Teruel pottery workshops in the 17th century. It has a truncated cone shape with three handles and a pourer. It is tin-...

midcentury SCHRAMBERG MAIOLICA Barbotine FISH TUREEN TERRINE handpainted Design Period 1955 to 1965 Production Period around 1960 Country of Manufacture Germany H / height: 11cm both ~ Gew. / weight: 2950grs DM / diameter casserole : 30 cm x 15cm x 11cm high ~ 19cm with its lid MARKED: Schramberger Majolikafabrik 5624 :-: fair condition with some very small chips (see photos) - Considering the sensitive material I would even say it is in good condition -- let´s call it charming vintage :-: To ensure a safe arrival, this item is packed in super-safe packaging. (up to 10 Kg) SMF SCHRAMBERG was originally founded in 1820 as Faist'sche Steingutfabrik by the stoneware expert Isidor Faist on the site of the abandoned Schramberg castle. By 1829, Faist and his factory had gained such a good reputation that Baron Ferdinand von Uechtritz became his partner under the new name of Steingut- und Majolikafabrik Uechtritz & Faist. With the Baron's financial support, the partners were able to build a new factory behind the castle, which dramatically increased production. By the 1860s, the company had a permanent workforce of 100 and an impressive number of almost 6,000 homeworkers (decorators, etc.), mainly children and women. From 1882, Faist began taking orders from Villeroy & Boch, who eventually bought the Schramberg pottery in 1883 and continued to operate it as a V&B subsidiary until the early 20th century. In 1911, several of the factory buildings had to be demolished to make way for the local railway, which drastically reduced production and caused Villeroy & Boch to lose interest in the site, which they sold to brothers Moritz and Leopold Meyer in 1912. It was the Meyers who introduced the "SMF" trademark and eventually gave the company its permanent name, Schramberger Majolika-Fabrik. In 1918 the company was transformed from a sole proprietorship to a limited liability company and the transformation was complete. The Meyer brothers were always on the lookout for new talent, and many famous artists joined the factory or contributed designs in the years that followed. Their decorative ceramics, stylized in vibrant colours, attracted much attention in the 1920s. Eva Stricker-Zeisel was a prominent designer for the company from 1928 to 1930. Her designs were strongly influenced by the Bauhaus movement and her modern form and decoration designs gave an avant-garde look to part of the production programme. As well as designing the shapes, Eva Zeisel also supplied the intended decorations for the pieces, although the decoration department often adapted her decorations to shapes for which they were not intended. They would even use them on shapes other than those designed by Zeisel and apply decors not designed by her to her shapes. This particularly happened with the very popular 'Mondrian' pattern, which often appeared on non-Zeisel shapes. The factory continued to produce Zeisel's designs for some time after her departure, but she sometimes felt that the designs were not exactly as she had intended. With the economic crisis of the early 1930s, the focus of production shifted to tableware and utilitarian ceramics, until the Nazis forced Moritz and Leopold Meyer to sell the factory in 1938 as part of the forced aryanisation of the German state. Both emigrated to England with their families during the war, but in 1949 Peter Meyer...

Early Arista y Cuenca tile made in Toledo. Azulejo Toledano. Alhambra tile decorated in renaissance mudejar style geometrical design. Probably made between 1550 and 1575. In very g...

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...

An alzatina or crespina, dish on stand. Depicting 'Prudentia'; holding a snake and a mirror in her hands. Italy, 18th century. Dimensions: diam. 23 cm. Good condition: chipping ...

A Savona alzatina or crespina, dish on stand, with blue decor. On the front a heraldic coat of arms with a lion adorned with crown and putto. In the background elaborate architecture...

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...

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

A stunning and rare antique Italian Maiolica pottery triple gourd vase hand-painted with classical stylised figurative and scroll designs in typical ...

Early Arista y cuenca tiles made in Toledo. Tile decorated in renaissance with stylized flowers, probably made between 1550 and 1575. Also separately available, please reach out t...

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) ...

Albarello wand cover with polychrome decoration called “al tacchiolo” of foliage with stylized flowers. Marked under the base: “N° 49" 18th century. Height: 15 cm incl lid, diameter ...

A French 18th century large polychrome Faience lidded soup toureen or entree dish with scallop-shaped edges attributable to Rouen manufacture. This lovely...

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 ...

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...

Two pot mustard set Felice Clerici or Pasquale Rubati Factory Milan, 1745-1788 Circa Majolica polychrome decorated "a piccolo fuoco" (third fire) It measures: 3.94 in in height x...

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....

Pair of round dishes and a small oval tray Antonio Maria Coppellotti factory Lodi, circa 1745 High fire polychrome majolica Dishes size: diameter 9.44 in, height 0.78 in (24 cm, 2 c...

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 l...

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...

Enrico Mazzolani female figure, Italy, 1930s.

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 ...

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...

Majolica flower pot "crescent" decorated in manganese Pasquale Rubati Factory Milan, c. 1770 4.92 in x 8.66 in x 5,31 in 12.5 cm x 22 cm X 13.5 cm Weight: 2.29 lb (1039 g) State of conservation: intact with slight chipping due to use in relief parts A rare example of a flower pot "a mezzaluna" produced by the manufactory of the refined painter Pasquale Rubati, who opened a factory in Milan in 1756 to compete with Felice Clerici...

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...

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...

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...

Pharmacy albarello made of majolica, with a particular spool shape. The predominant glaze of the ceramic is white, on which there are decorations in blue and yellow. These decoration...

An exceptional Renaissance Revival Maiolica tin-glazed plate painted with a side profile portrait of a lady within a decorative border with a line painted design to the base. The lig...

This is an antique Italian ceramic jug, likely from the Montelupo Fiorentino factory, dating to around the late 19th century with the coat-of-arms of the Medici Grand Dukes flanked b...

Santucci Deruta Oil and Vinegar Majolica with Raphaelesque decoration. Good condition. Thanks

Shuttle sauce boat Felice Clerici or Pasquale Rubati Factory Milan, 1745-1788 Circa Majolica polychrome decorated "a piccolo fuoco" (third fire) It measures: 2.56 in in height x 6....

Spanish Faience charger with floral motifs. Talavera de la Reina-Puente del Arzobispo, Toledo. Spain, late 17th century. Hand painted in ochre, yellow, brown and blue with a central...

We present this stunning large vase, made in Faenza, Italy, dating back to the 1950s. The vase is crafted from polychrome glazed ceramic. The eye-catching, classically painted decora...

We present this fantastic large vase, made in Florence, Italy, dating back to the 1980s. The vase is crafted from polychrome glazed ceramic. The eye-catching, classically styled deco...

Early Arista y cuenca tiles made in Toledo. Tile decorated in renaissance with stylized flowers, probably made between 1550 and 1575. I have four of them available, please reach o...

Large Maiolica Dish Of The Antonibon Manufacture With Fruit Decoration Circa 1750 in excellent condition of oval shape with mixtilinear edges, bears in the center a fruit decoration ...

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...

Maiolica tureen Antonio Ferretti Manufacture Lodi, Circa 1770 - 1780 Maiolica polychrome decorated “a piccolo fuoco” (third fire). It measures 9.06 in in height x 13.39 in x 9.84 i...

A pair of Minton Majolica Reticulated Baskets, designed by Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (1824-1887). Excellent condition on both pieces, no issues! Made in lead-glazed earthenware (Mintons "Majolica"). With full marks "MINTON 1210". Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse worked at Minton as chief designer between 1850 and 1855. During his time at Minton, he created models for porcelain items, including vases and sculpture...

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...

Early Arista y cuenca tiles made in Toledo. Tile decorated in renaissance with stylized flowers, probably made between 1550 and 1575. I have four of them available, please reach o...

I vasi cilindrici in Maiolica prodotti per Grand Tour sono emblema dell'eccellenza dell'artigianalità Made in Italy. Alti 24cm con diametro di 13 sono perfetti come porta fiori, fogl...