Vintage Neo-Renaissance Ceramic Potiche Vase by the MAP factory - Mengaroni, Italy, 1930s

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Description

Wonderful vase, potiche, in glazed and vitrified majolica, entirely hand-modeled on a potter's wheel, decorated entirely by hand in full … Read more Wonderful vase, potiche, in glazed and vitrified majolica, entirely hand-modeled on a potter's wheel, decorated entirely by hand in full neo-renaissance style, with raphaelesque decorations of flowers, leaves, and fruit on a black background and three central animals in blue, i believe a cat, a dog, and a dragon. The lid of the vase is also entirely hand-decorated like the vase and features two animals. The vase is signed under the base with the map di mengaroni manufacturer's mark and the place of production "pesaro." the vase can be dated to the early decades of the 20th century, between 1920 and 1930, and the evident patina, especially under the base, is perfectly in line with our dating.

useful information for evaluating the object:
searching the internet, we found that mengaroni ceramics sell, on average, from a minimum of €150-200 for the simplest pieces to €1,500-2,000 for the most beautiful and largest ones. In particular, we found a vase very similar to ours in terms of workmanship and decoration, also on a dark background, although to be fair it must be said that it is a little more beautiful than ours because it is slightly larger and has two beautiful large handles. However, it was offered at the wannenes 315 auction in 2020, lot number 800, with a starting estimate of €800-1,200.

information about the artist and/or manufacturer:
formerly an employee of the pesaro ceramics manufacturer "molaroni," ferruccio mengaroni resigned in 1908 and set up a ceramics workshop in his home on viale zara in pesaro. In 1914, in partnership with ettore and aristodemo mancini, ferruccio mengaroni opened a small factory, the "studio d'arte ceramica" in viale trento 150, whose trademark consisted of an "f" at the top, the graphic symbol of a griffin, the letters "s.d.c.a.," the words ferruccio mengaroni and a.m. Pisaurum, sometimes accompanied by the year of manufacture. Other trademarks of the factory are simply "ferruccio mengaroni a.m." or just "f.m. & c." the factory closed in 1920, only to reopen as "maiolica artistica pesarese" (m.a.p.) and, from 1920 onwards, production was marked with the letters m.a.p. With the addition of the graphic symbol of a rampant lion holding a branch of quince, an ancient symbol of the sforza dynasty, and the inscription pesaro. In 1920, the company published a catalog with photographic reproductions of some of the works produced. On may 13, 1925, ferruccio mengaroni died in a tragic accident while setting up his works for the biennale of decorative arts in monza. He was killed by the weight of an enormous polychrome majolica tondo he had created, depicting the head of medusa. But the factory, run by aristodemo mancini, continued production under the name "a.m. Mengaroni & c.". In the years following mengaroni's death, the factory's ceramics bore the words "made in italy" or "italia" under the usual graphic symbol. In 1932, the young painter marcello antonelli joined the factory's team of collaborators. In 1929, due to the severe economic crisis, the factory was forced to downsize, and the following year it was declared bankrupt. In 1934, elettro mancini, in partnership with giulio patrignani and guido andreani, took over the company shares and resumed production, marking it with the words "m.a.p. And an asterisk," which continued uninterrupted until 1944. In 1945, the factory was taken over by a group of employees who ran it until 1949 under the direction of antonio imperatori, until 1958, the year of its definitive closure. Among the artists and ceramists who collaborated with the "m.a.p." factory over the years, mario filippucci, achille wildi, renato giavoli, enrico cardinali, maria mancini, maria antonietta gallina, ferruccio fastigi, violetta giuliani, guerino bozzetti, tonino naponelli, and giannetto serafini are particularly noteworthy.


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