Majolica Style Candlestick - Questions

There is not much Majolica style pottery around here to ask questions about. Major pieces come into the shop I go to, but they are always noticeably damaged. This modest 5 inch tall candle stick with lemons and unknown fruit in a white basket follows a formula of modern majolica style. I couldn't find an example of a similar candlestick though. The bottom is unglazed and there is something that looks like a mark.

Is this Chinese? How do you tell whether something is Chinese or Italian? I can't tell if it is tin glazed. How do you know this? Is the size of the hole important? Any comments appreciated.

 

Mostly Italian, sometimes Portuguese.

 

Got it. So most anything of this kind would be from those places. There are a lot of Italian and Portuguese things that I see, but they are all glazed bottom and clearly marked. Thank you.

 

I've seen them like this - nice little souvenirs, the lemons are typical. Especially on Sicily.

 

Thanks. I didn't buy it to keep. I wanted to learn how to look at these pieces when they come up. I learn all kinds of surprising things, when I research stuff that I buy. I am used to thinking of majolica as this kind of large pieces attached to some piece of pottery. Now I realize that on the old stuff, the reliefs are far less prominent.

 

if you research trompe l'oeil it will be helpful - which translate to "trick the eye"

 

Thank you. Will do!

 

Trompe l'oeil is about two dimensions rather than three: a painting, say, which is a flat object simulating a solid form. There's a tem for these artificial fruits which is eluding me.

 

Keep thinking. It will come to you. I'm all ears/eyes.

 

Maybe relief?

 

Darby Home Co Fruit Candle Holder | Wayfair

6" Inch Ceramic Mixed Fruit Tapered Candle Holder – ImportedGiftDepot

 

Wow!!!!!!!!!! I am amazed. But it's you, so I shouldn't be. New, I knew, but price I am astonished. Also "Authentic Capodimonte “Fruit Candle Holder ”

 

Capodimonte, my backside.