HISTORY
Whilst travelling Europe way way back in the 1970's we saw this vase and loved it. It came from a funny little shop that had an assortment of interesting things and we decided to bring the vase back home with us.
Now, the EXACT maker could not be identified and we have always had a "question mark" about this, but we loved the vase anyway!
Please read my comments below under "BACKSTAMP" to understand our thoughts about the artisan.
It is not one of the reknown "fake" Italian ceramic pieces, we looked for the rough feeling and unglazed circle on the base, all good. Much of the older Italian ceramic works were hand painted by the artisan but we are not so sure about this artwork.
While it has that "human look" to the artwork, looking closely with a magnifying glass, I cannot see those tell-tale brush strokes - I suspect this was a "spray on" piece of artwork, I might be wrong but that has always been my thinking. Pretty sure this was not created as a "one off" but most likely mass produced during the 1970's
Very Italian looking although not "in your face" bold as with so many other Italian designs, we like that "softness" to the colouring.
So, it has been with us for around 50 years and it needs to make way for some other very special ceramics we wish to display properly so this piece must find a new home...
ITALIAN - Ceramic Decorative Vase (with lid)
Made in Florence, ITALY
Bright White base colouring.
Delicate, finely crafted artwork in pastel colours depicting pale Purple flowers, Red buds and foliage. I do not know this flower, it looks similar to a Primrose but those Red buds have me wondering!
Heavy Gold gilding applied to the top spire (lifting handle) of the lid, the rim of the lid and the base foot of the vase.
Bulbous shaped vase with a distinctive "spire shaped" lid
DIMENSIONS:
Total height (including the lid) 9" (230mm)
Top opening 4" (105mm)
Widest point diameter 7.75" (200mm)
Base foot 4.75" diameter x 0.75" height (120mm x 20mm)
BACKSTAMP:
A rough feeling un-glazed outer circle on the underneath of the base foot, why is this important?
Before the actual hand painting, the artisan dips the terracotta deeply into a sieve containing fast drying liquid glaze. This fine powder will prevent the colors from spreading and blurring into each other during the painting and will bond with the subsequent colored glazes during the final firing.
All attribution marks are printed (under the glaze) in Mid Red
(Text follows a circle pattern. Within the circle is a bold M with "something" a top of it)
FLORENCE ITALY IL VERROCCHIO
M
Here are MY thoughts about the vase origins ... obviously made in the Florence area of Italy. Now many people (I see others online have these ceramic pieces of various designs with the IL VERROCCHIO) believe that is the makers name, I am not so sure.
Around Florence there are many references to IL VERROCCHIO, being mainly restaurants and hotels - it is a commonly used name, and why? Because Verrocchio was actually a classic Italian sculptor and painter from the 15th Century, his full name is Andrea Del Verrocchio. Of course this vase was not created by him (OMG) but I believe it is in respect to him that the name in on the vase. More interesting to my wife and I is the M with an indistinguishable graphic just at the top of the M - we believe THAT is actually the artisan's mark or attribution stamp.
Unfortunately, we didn't get told at the time of purchase about who that M refers to and since then we have never found ACCURATE information so it remains a mystery to us.
CONDITION:
Clean
NO damage (no chips, no cracks, no leaks!)
NO discolouration
NO marks (that shouldn't be there!)
Lid mates with the vase perfectly, no chipping or damage
Spire has a "flat top" and this is how it has always been, we do not believe this is damage (no roughness and it is glazed over)
We have sent a large amount of our beloved china all over the world and ALWAYS package extremely carefully (pointless sending a piece that arrives damaged!)
