Rare Pair of Cantagalli Florence Renaissance Revival Majolica Figural Head Vases, Italy, Late 19th Century

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A striking and highly unusual companion pair of Italian majolica figural head vases by Cantagalli of Florence, dating to the … Read more A striking and highly unusual companion pair of Italian majolica figural head vases by Cantagalli of Florence, dating to the late 19th century.

Each hand-modeled vessel depicts a stylized male head with elongated features, pierced almond-shaped eyes, applied curling hair and distinctive crosshatched decoration to the cheeks. Although conceived as companions, the two figures are intentionally different.

One wears a tall cobalt-blue cylindrical headdress and an applied knotted cord around his neck. The other is considerably more elaborate, with green scrolling hair, a modeled bow tie and a dramatic openwork crown composed of looping cobalt-blue elements intertwined around a manganese-brown ring.

Both are raised on molded circular pedestal bases and decorated in the characteristic Renaissance Revival palette of cobalt and turquoise blue, copper green, ochre, manganese brown and creamy white.

The undersides bear hand-painted Cantagalli cockerel marks, identifying them with the celebrated Florence manufactory founded by the Cantagalli family and particularly associated with Ulisse Cantagalli’s revival of Renaissance Italian maiolica during the late 19th century.

According to family provenance, the two vases were purchased together in Florence, Italy, by the family of Harry Hartshorn and have remained together as a pair. See less