Antique Italian Renaissance Raffaellesco Grotteschi Majolica Wall Charger

Description

A stunning large antique Italian Raffaellesco majolica wall charger / centerpiece, showcasing exceptionally executed handmade and painted design, dating to … more A stunning large antique Italian Raffaellesco majolica wall charger / centerpiece, showcasing exceptionally executed handmade and painted design, dating to the 19th century or earlier.

Shallow bowl-form plate - platter raised on circular foot, yellow lustware pigment, later drilled with string added for wall hanging. Featuring artistic medieval Renaissance Grotteschi style, decorated in intricate highly stylized foliate scrolls, mysterious masks, dragons and grotesques.

Signed in blue against bisque underfoot, 121 with a symbol that appears as a S within a C and/or N with a diagonal line through it.

Dimensions: (approx)
13.75" Diameter, 2" High, 2.75lbs

Condition:
Great condition overall, having warm, nicely aged patina, small area of old restoration work at left grotesque's tail, and typical scattered minor antique character marks, all wear consistent with age, nothing that detracts from the overall display but only adds to the sophisticated character, elegant warmth, and rustic European old world charm!

History:
The Italian pottery / ceramics known as maoilica is highly desirable and sought after due to the polychrome painted tin-glazed earthenware that makes the pottery gleam with bright vivid colors that never fade.

The history of majolica is as intricate and colorful as the designs that adorn it, spanning 800 years of Italian ceramic tradition. This form of glazed pottery, renowned the world over for its vibrancy and artistry,
Italian maiolica was first produced around 1350, but it wasn’t until the height of the Renaissance that the pottery reached its artistic peak.

Early maiolica had a limited color palette; a classic white base with manganese (brown) and copper (green) glaze designs. By 1460, the technological advancements in kilns and glazes combined with the flourishing artistic prowess of the artisans brought us the vibrant, polychrome ceramics that we associate with Italian pottery today. By the end of the 15th century, small towns were renowned for their high-quality maiolica and each town had developed their own distinct styles. Some were larger cities, such as Siena, but more often they were small towns whose market was a large nearby city to which they were politically affiliated. Two prominent examples were Deruta, near Perugia and Montelupo, near Florence. Both of these towns are located along riverbanks – the Tiber in Umbria and the Arno in Tuscany – where there are natural clay deposits, perfect for the production of maiolica. Once the Italians became experts in the craft, Italian ceramics became world-renowned.

During the 16th century, the Raffaellesco character became a popular design in pottery. Raffaellesco is the namesake of one of the Great Masters, Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, 1483-1520), a painter and architect. His frescos featured a creature which came to be known as a “grottesque”, a design that combines human, animal, and botanical forms. An example of this sort of creature can be found in Raphael’s “St Michael Trampling the Dragon”. Though the version of the dragon in Raphael’s painting is a dark, sinister-looking beast, the romantic Italians allowed the image of the dragon to evolve into a much lighter, more benign creature.

The Raffaellesco we know today is a benevolent deity, bestowing good luck and fair winds to all who cross his path.

The remarkable skills necessary to produce these ultra-refined paintings on ceramics is truly impressive. less