Vintage Italian Ceramic Tile with Ships and Sailing Ships by Lino Berzoini for the MGA Mazzotti Factory, 1930s

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Description

Description of the object:
thick, heavy glazed majolica tile with wooden frame, enamelled with very thick enamels, entirely decorated by … Read more Description of the object:
thick, heavy glazed majolica tile with wooden frame, enamelled with very thick enamels, entirely decorated by hand, with a decoration depicting saint mary of christopher columbus and one of the two companion ships, either the nina or the pinta. Signed with the initials l.b. By the artist lino berzoini in the lower left corner and by the albisola manufacturer m.g.a. In the lower right corner.

useful information for evaluating the item:
lino berzoini has achieved several auction results. In the last photo, we have included two ceramic sculptures by the artist, which sold at auction for rather high prices. Considering that these prices are quite dated, they would certainly be higher today, taking inflation into account. Furthermore, we are talking about auction bases, prices that could rise during the auction, and finally, the final auction result, to which auction fees of 25-30% must always be added. From our internet research, we have also found other items made by lino berzoini that have been sold or listed at auction at very high prices. One sculpture was sold for €1,200 by 'viscontea casa d'aste' in milan, italy, at the 'milano decor - antiques, fine art, carpets & design' auction on october 8, 2024. Lot 365 entitled "frate violinista (1936)" (violinist friar). Another sculpture was sold for €1,100 by bertolami fine arts srl, rome, at the "modern and contemporary art" auction on june 8, 2016, lot 136, entitled "ondina e pesce (1930)" (ondine and fish), to which auction fees of 25-30% must always be added. Another sculpture, on the other hand, was listed at €2,500 - €2,700 by cambi casa d'aste in genoa, italy, at the "mobili - glass and ceramics from liberty to design" on 28/05/2007, lot 241, entitled "female nude with vase (c.1940)". Another sculpture, very large, 66 cm high, was valued at €5,200 - €6,240 by finarte in rome, at the auction "ceramiche del novecento" on 06/06/2001, lot 118 entitled "fanciulla con volpe" (girl with fox). Finally, a small oil on canvas, measuring 24.5 x 30.5 cm, was listed by the sant'agostino gallery in turin, italy, at the auction "dipinti, arredi, argenti e gioielli - dipinti antichi e moderni" (paintings, furnishings, silverware, and jewelry - antique and modern paintings) on june 11, 2007, lot no. 38, entitled "canale veneziano" (venetian canal). All this is to give a general idea of the value of the works created by this important italian artist.
(by entering the details of the items we have indicated into google, especially the title of the auction or sale listing in the same language we have used, the date, the lot number, and the auction house or name of the sales website, you will, in most cases, be able to find and view the items mentioned).

final considerations on the item:
note the size of our tile, which is very large compared to the common tiles made for the mga, which obviously increases the value of the item. Furthermore, the rarity of the subject of the decoration should not be underestimated: the famous ship santa maria with which christopher columbus discovered the americas, with its rich sails bearing the red crosses of castile!

information about the artist and/or manufacturer:
the mga (mazzotti giuseppe arte) factory was founded by giuseppe mazzotti in 1903. Some of the world's greatest ceramists collaborated with the manufacturer, including romeo bevilacqua, lino berzoini, bartolomeo tortarolo, and nino strada in 1937, when mga won the grand prix at the world's fair in paris.

lino berzoini was a painter, sculptor, and ceramist. He was born in ficarolo (rovigo) in 1893. In 1935, he moved to albisola and began working for the "s.p.i.c.a." factory. And, after a brief period in france, towards the end of 1937, he began working with the mazzotti family's "m.g.a." factory, for which he produced numerous works, often unique pieces but also multiples made using the casting technique, in majolica terracotta and hand-painted, also inspired by the world of sport. In 1939, he ended his collaboration with "m.g.a." and, as a freelancer, began to fire his production at the bianco d'albisola kilns in pozzo garitta. For this reason, the tile shown here can be dated between 1937 and 1939. Lino berzoini died in albisola (savona) in 1971. In the last photos, we have included some historical notes on the manufacturer and biographical information on the artist for those who wish to learn more.


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