Large Italian? Vase Lion Head Handles Anyone Know Who Made it?

Hi Everyone!
I purchased this large vase yesterday and have been trying to identify the marking on the base with no luck.
I think the Vase is Italian.
Does anyone recognize the mark?
Thank You!
Toni

 

We need to put out a call for @Walter Del Pellegrino , methinks.

 

I was thinking of Walter! I also posted this on the other Pottery Board. No response as of yet.

Does Walter visit here too?

 

Yes, he does! I remember seeing his name on the list of "members online" just a day or two ago. Hopefully he'll get a notice to visit from what I did above (although if he has declined getting alert emails it will have to wait until he visits on his own accord.)

 

Thank you so much!

 

Thank you all for the show of confidence. I truly appreciate it. I responded to this in another forum. Here is my answer.

I have never seen this mark before and it is rather intriguing. I can, however, offer some insight about the vase. It is decorated with a technique known as Sgraffito (Scratch in English). Several different colored layers of slip (liquified clay) coat the vase and allowed to air dry naturally. Before the vase is put into the kiln rhe designs are scratched into the surface revealing the colored slip below. Colored glazes are used to paint between the lines like a coloring book. Then the vase is fired in the oven. The technique dates back as far as the 11th century in Italy but its popularity had faded away by about the 18th century It took the efforts of a single ceramist in the early 20th century, Zulimo Aretini, to revive the art form and revitalize an industry. Zulimo Aretini descended from an ancient family of potters working in the Umbrian town of Perugia, near Deruta. In the 1920's he opened his own studio. His workshop won almost immediate recognition and success. He joined with a consortium of other potters in Deruta and Perugia and established international contacts for the export of their wares. It was Zulimo's international success that spurred the interest of the sgraffito wares. From the 1920's to the early 1950's the very best importer of Italian ceramics in North America was the firm of Carbone. Their headquarters was located in Boston and they had showrooms on Fifth Avenue in New York City and the Via Sassetti in Florence, Italy. I mention this fact because while I was perusing their 1927 catalogue (a very rare and hard to find book) I came across their line of sgraffito pottery which they labeled as "Graffito". The company utilized four different sources for their line of Sgraffito. Based on the designs I have been able to determine that one of the lines was located in Montelupo and another in Montipolo. The catalog describes examples from Perugia, Artetini's hometown, as being "characterized by the prevalance of bird motifs and a preponderance of yellow in the backgrpound. The etching was also freer and more crudely effective than the other line represented.". Certainly your vase would fit the description and I certainly can see the Aretini influence throughout the design.

So, from all this we can deduce that your vase was probably made sometime between the 1920's and 1950's, most likely the 1920's or early 1930's. It was made by a pottery in Perugia or more likely in Deruta. One more probable fact can be determined. Sometimes its as important to notice what iis missing from puzzle as it is to see all the pieces of that puzzle. In this case note that word "Italy" is missing. The country of origin was vital in order to be imported into this country. Without that information goods could be rejected at the port of entry. If the artist was simply selling his wares locally and did not have access to an international outlet then he,or she, simply had no need to include the word on the base of his works. I believe that is probably the case here. I believe your vase was purchased by a tourist while shopping in Deruta during the 1920's or 30's and they brought the piece home as a momento. I believe that this is probably also the reason why I have no record of this.mark.

 

Good day, the vase was made in Deruta by the firm Grazia and is a copy of a vase Aretini, was done in the period 1920-1940.
Nazzareno Mela

 

I have a very similar-looking vase but it is marked 59 Italy Aretini

 

Then maybe you've got the original production from the earlier period !

 

Walter, you did see this mark before, but it's been awhile since this post. http://italianpotterymarks.freeforums.org/deruta-marks-t90.html