Futurist Majolicated Ceramic Flask Vase by Dante Baldelli, Italy, 1920s

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Description of the object
a flask-shaped vase made of glazed ceramic, wheel-thrown and produced by baldelli ceramiche in città di … Read more Description of the object
a flask-shaped vase made of glazed ceramic, wheel-thrown and produced by baldelli ceramiche in città di castello in the 1950s and 1960s, hand-signed on the underside of the base “baldelli italy” along with the model number. The shape is compact and elegant: the body, defined by broad flat panels that accentuate its sculptural character, ends with a pronounced shoulder and tapers into a slender, elongated neck, while at the bottom it rests on a recessed foot that raises it slightly off the surface. What makes this piece truly special is its textured glaze—rough and porous to the touch—which, during firing, rippled to resemble an orange peel or a lava surface. The color shifts through a thousand shades—from mustard yellow to ochre and tobacco brown—dotted with tiny light and dark specks, and changes with every rotation of the vase depending on how the light hits its surfaces. Effects like these arise from special glazes that are difficult to control, as each firing yields a different result: every piece is therefore unique. Underneath the base, which is entirely glazed in white, is the hand-painted signature “baldelli italy” along with the catalog number—a hallmark of the workshop’s production, including pieces intended for export. The rim of the foot reveals the red ceramic body. The signature, glazing, and form fully correspond to the baldelli style of those years, known precisely for its experimentation with textured glazes. The vase is in excellent condition, with the natural irregularities and small bubbles characteristic of this type of glaze and slight wear on the rim. The baldelli workshop was founded in the 1940s by dante baldelli, one of the greatest and most important italian ceramicists of the first half of the 20th century—particularly in the field of umbrian ceramics—whose works have achieved significant auction results; on art price alone, in the “objects” category, there are 33 auction results, and the top eight range from 2,500 euros plus auction fees of 25–30% up to 6,000 euros, plus additional fees—this is to give an idea of the value of his works.

information about the artist and/or manufactory
dante baldelli was born in città di castello in 1904, the son of stamura rometti and nephew of settimio rometti, who, together with his son aspromonte, founded the famous rometti manufactory in umbertide. He trained in perugia and then in rome at the academy of fine arts, studying under the sculptors luppi and canonica. Beginning in 1928, he served as artistic director of the family workshop, soon sharing the role with corrado cagli, whom he had met during his studies in rome; together, they brought rometti to the forefront of italian avant-garde ceramics in the 1930s. He participated in numerous exhibitions, including the 5th milan triennale in 1931, and in 1934 he designed the posters for the 19th venice biennale and the world soccer championships. After rometti closed in 1942 due to the war, he opened his own workshop in città di castello, baldelli ceramiche, where he worked with his son massimo until his death in 1953. Massimo continued the business for several decades, developing a line of vases and decorative objects featuring modern forms and textured glazes, which were exported worldwide and are now highly prized by collectors of italian design. This piece has an attribution mark,
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