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Italian Sgraffito Vase, Decorated With Fantasy Sea Creatures, Fratelli Fanciullacci, Design Suspected Aldo Londi
€550€155-72%Bid from €95
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PEER, BelgiumOn Whoppah since January 2025 • 3 sales
Product description
This very beautiful sgraffito (a method of decoration in which figures or patterns are scratched into the still wet clay) ceramic vase was manufactured in the factory of the famous Italian ceramists Fratelli Fanciullacci. The Fanciullacci family took their first steps in the ceramic industry as early as 1737 at Richard-Ginori, a world-renowned porcelain manufacturer founded that year. The vase has a height of about 25 cm and a diameter of about 12 cm. The vase shows 2 small almost invisible restorations of chips on the neck. The decoration of the vase used bright soft tones to color fantasy sea creatures. The vase most likely dates to the 1950s. It is a particularly beautiful, rare and sought-after piece. The design is in all likelihood by Aldo Londi who is better known as the creative director of the famous Bitossi family ceramics studio, a position he held for about 50 years. Aldo Londi began his career already at the age of 11 by joining the Fratelli Fanciullacci factory as an apprentice. That the Fanciullacci brothers had a knack for business, which allowed their factory at the time to grow into one of the largest employers in the area, was evident from a number of things. In 1911, the factory was moved to the other side of the Arno River. Indeed, a new railroad line had been built here, providing the factory with perfect access to transport their products to domestic and foreign customers (America was one of their biggest foreign customers). During this period, the Fanciullacci brothers also increasingly shifted their activity from simple domestic ceramics to artistic ceramics and, moreover, eagerly responded to the ever-changing fashion trends in the ceramics sector, resulting in strong differences in the style of the works. This, together with the fact that many of the works were not signed, makes it not so obvious today to recognize ceramic works of art from their factory as such (fortunately, this vase does bear the mark and model number "Italy F1"). At the end of the Second World War (a period during which Aldo Londi was a prisoner of war for a long time), Bitossi's parent company, namely Colorificio, had taken over the Fratelli Fanciullacci factory (the Franciullacci brothers remained active there). Aldo Londi returned and became creative director at Bitossi. Because of this, it is more than likely that he also had a hand in the artistic direction the Fanciullacci factory sailed. Unfortunately, on November 4, 1966, the factory fell victim to a flood of the Arno River, resulting in the loss of most of the documents and thus no absolute certainty about this. However, comparison of Fratelli Fanciullacci's artwork with this one by Bitossi points strongly in that direction. All this makes this vase a "must have" for lovers of Italian artistic ceramics. Works both these from the factory of the Fratelli Fanciullacci and these by Aldo Londi, note prices of several hundred and even several thousand euros on the current art market. Especially the pieces decorated with fantasy animals (horses, pelicans, sea creatures, ...) have greatly increased in value in a few years, making it almost impossible to find a specimen under €500. The offered vase is a real opportunity for lovers of this genre.
The vase shows 2 small almost invisible restorations of chips on the neck.
The vase shows 2 small almost invisible restorations of chips on the neck.
Specifications
ConditionGoodColorsMulti ColorMaterialCeramicNumber of items1Height25 cmWidth12 cmDepth12 cm
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Seller information
About this seller
PEER, BelgiumOn Whoppah since January 2025 • 3 sales