Vintage Italian Ceramic Vase by Manlio Trucco, 1930s

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Description of the item:
Beautiful glazed and vitrified ceramic vase in futurist style, entirely hand-modeled on a potter's wheel, decorated … Read more Description of the item:
Beautiful glazed and vitrified ceramic vase in futurist style, entirely hand-modeled on a potter's wheel, decorated entirely by hand with stylized floral decoration applied with an airbrush, signed under the base with the La Fenice manufacturer's mark and the word "Fenice" written immediately below, also bearing the catalog number. The vase has a particularly shiny glaze due to the use of high-quality glazes rich in feldspars. The object can be dated to around 1930 and the patina, especially under the base and inside the vase, is perfectly in line with this dating.

Useful information for evaluating the object:
From an internet search, we find that similar ceramics by this artist are listed at very high prices ranging from €300-500 for smaller objects, simple in form and decoration, to estimates of over €3,000 for larger vases with more complex workmanship and decoration.

Information about the artist and/or manufacturer:
Manlio Trucco (1884 - 1974) was an Italian ceramist and painter. He studied in Genoa, where he attended the Ligurian Academy of Fine Arts under the direction of Luigi De Servi. In 1921, he returned to Italy, to Albisola Capo, and began working at the "La casa dell'arte" factory owned by Angelo and Giulio Barile and Giuseppe Agnino. Here, he was the first to introduce third-fire metallic reflections to the Albisola ceramic workshops. This technique would be studied by many other artists, including Lucio Fontana. In 1922, he opened the "La Fenice" factory with Cornelio Geranzani, where he collaborated with various artists, including Adelina Zandrino, Mario Labò, Francesco Messina, and Arturo Martini, with whom he began a fruitful collaboration. In 1923, he participated in the First Biennial Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Monza, in 1924 in the annual exhibition of the Society of Fine Arts, and in 1925 in the Paris Expo. Having been influenced by the Art Deco climate during his years in Paris, on his return to Italy he devoted himself to creating works depicting sacred and mythological subjects, while maintaining the traditional blue colors on a white background typical of the "antique Savona" style, especially in the creation of large decorative vases and baroque-style jugs. During his time with Gerenzani, he devoted himself to creating ornamental objects for everyday use (such as tableware and furnishings) and in later years he returned to Art Deco themes, combining them with motifs from folk ceramics and traditional craftsmanship, particularly from Russia and Hungary at the beginning of the century. At the 1923 Monza Biennial, he exhibited works decorated with intertwined swallows, while from the late 1920s onwards, the subjects of his works were palmettes, symmetrical motifs, stylized flowers, fountains, female figures, and animals. His home in Albisola Capo, built on two levels in 1936 to a design by engineer Fabris and architect Mario Labò, was donated by Trucco himself to the municipality of Albisola, on condition that it be used as a museum for Ligurian artists. The museum, listed in the general catalog of cultural heritage, houses many works of Ligurian ceramics from the 15th century onwards, as well as a collection of majolica on loan from the San Martino Hospital in Genoa, including numerous ceramic works from pharmacies created by artists from Savona in the 17th and 18th centuries. The work Battaglia by Agenore Fabbri is on permanent display in the museum garden.


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