Art Nouveau or Majolica

Hi I was wondering if this was
Art Nouveau or Majolica, and by chance tell me the value of this. I’m leaning more towards
art nouveau because of the dragon fly motif. There’s also a marking on the foot (XV) I’m not familiar with the mark.

 

Measurements are 11” (w) x 6”(h)

 

Hello and welcome Reeves. I'm afraid your bowl is not majolica or art nouveau. It's a relatively new piece from China in a multi color glaze. I suppose you could say it's art nouveau inspired though.
Don.

 

Hi Don thanks for your response. It really didn’t hit me until after I posted it of the possibility of it being a contemporary piece. I was going off of the dragon fly motif and the crazing with in the glaze that can’t be seen in the photos.

 

The dragonfly motif is my favorite part of your bowl. Frogs are the decorations you usually see. Crazing cannot be considered an indication of age. There are pieces hundreds of years old with no crazing and pieces made yesterday that have crazing.

One of the tip-offs that this a modern piece are the bottoms of the feet. That red paint scratched down to white clay is a characteristic of more modern work. There are also a couple of indications of this being a mass produced piece. The running together of the tan and green colors on the bamboo and the chipping to the foot can indicate a bit of a slap dash production process. There were meant to be produced cheaply and quickly for export.

All that being said, this is not necessarily a bad piece. It just needs to be judged on its own merits. And, who knows, these could end up being the collectibles of tomorrow.
Don

 

And who doesn't like the 'odd' dragonfly !!!

 

Don, great explanation. I didn’t realize there was so many indicators right in front of me.

 

It is not as bad as it seems, Reeves. It is attractive and the symbolism is nice.
In Chinese culture the dragonfly is a symbol of summer and of purity of heart. Bamboo stands for gentle and graceful resilience, because it bends but doesn't break.