Ceramic Wayfarers Water Bottles, Late 1800s, Set of 2

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A pair of late 19th-century ceramic wayfarer's flasks, lenticular in shape, with a white background and abstract decorations painted in … Read more A pair of late 19th-century ceramic wayfarer's flasks, lenticular in shape, with a white background and abstract decorations painted in shades of blue, ochre, and brown. They are similar in shape, except for the handles, which are oriented differently. The taller one has a glued base. The decoration is only on the outside of the flask, while on the back of one we see a label from a shop in Rapallo and a small chip on the base. Originating from Central Italy.

These small terracotta flasks were designed to hold water or other liquids needed for pilgrims to quench their thirst during their travels. Relatively small, lenticular in shape, they could be attached to a belt or carried over the shoulder using a cord that was threaded around the flask through four loops or perforated handles on the sides.

Thus, the essential tool for the traveler was soon decorated and enriched with new forms, both in the plastic of the flask and in its typology, to the point of finding unusual shapes such as the hollow-centered flasks, which, having a base, suggest a more decorative than functional purpose.

The decoration also evolved from primitive graffiti with geometric or floral motifs to enamel coloring or decoration, which could be pictorial according to the usual models of the period or, in the more popular examples, abstract in nature, as in the case of the flasks with abstract, almost random decoration, in which we like to think the decorator simply had colors to use or run out. See less