1930s Bandini for Zaccagnini Italian Ceramic Cherub Statues - a Pair

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Description

A pair of cherubic fauns, playing music and holding flowers. One is holding a bouquet of flowers upright like an … Read more A pair of cherubic fauns, playing music and holding flowers. One is holding a bouquet of flowers upright like an instrument and the second faun plays a bagpipe with his cheeks puffed and his eyes closed. They are each seated on tree stumps highlighting their goat like legs and hooves.

Each of this pair has been signed, inscribed to the top of the base 'J.M.Bandini' by Mario Bandini, Zaccagnini's principle sculptor. They also carry the Zaccagnini signature 'Z' under the base. Bandini was hired in 1938 to sculpt for Zaccagnini. This pair of fauns share some of the facial features found in Austrian Secessionist figural sculpture of the 1930s, with a rustic, naive style, arched eyebrows and hooded, catlike eyes, dating them to circa 1938-1940.

It's rare to see Bandini's signature combined with that of Zaccagnini in one place. This is an attractive prospect for the collector of Zaccagnini ceramics as the Mario Bandini/Urbano Zaccagnini partnership marked Zaccagnini's hugely successful entry to the North American market.

These will appeal to lovers of Italian ceramics and stylized Art Deco.

Bagpipe player measures 9"H x 5"W
Bouquet holder measures 10 1/2"H x 5"W

Great vintage condition. Gold translucent tin color is still bold and bright, with minimal color loss in only the tips of the horns and hooves and a tiny chip in the white paint on the rim of the base, barely noticeable. These are hand painted and there is some teal paint on the bottom of one cherub, likely from the studio when it was made, its slightly visible on the bottom back of the bagpiper. It could potentially be cleaned off but we don't want to attempt and risk damaging the piece. See less