Featured Spaghetti Cats

These very scarce Majolica pottery 'spaghetti' cats originated in Italy in the 1950s. When I tell someone I collect them most people don't even know what they are. I'm hoping to find others that collect them and exchange photos. All of the ones I have I have purchased from eBay and have been told they were discovered at estate sales. There are still some I've seen photos of that I have yet to find for sale anywhere. In the last photo on the center shelf is my prized possession, a ring of 9 kittens that is about 14 inches across, I believe it is a one of a kind piece. I am anxious and interested to see some responses!

 

Love those ! Welcome !

 

Thank you! Yes, they are just so whimsical and precious!

 

Oh wow!
Aren't those cute!

Looks like the same maker. The eyes and spaghetti all seem to match.

Welcome to the board. Many cat lovers here.

 

It's always good to meet a fellow cat lover! As far as I know they are handmade with a technique similar to piping icing onto a cake- so no two are exactly alike!

 

Heres my huge Italian kitty,recently acquired.

 

Super nice, even though the spaghetti cats are my main collection I enjoy looking at all kinds of cat figurines.

 

Welcome!
I don’t recall ever seeing these but I’ve seen and have or have had the poodles, maybe some other things.
Should we be watching for these for you?

 

My collection actually stemmed from my dad's collection of the poodles which he inherited from his mom! And yes, I would love for anyone to contact me if they stumble across one, they don't pop up online very often and I'm assuming that most of them that are left are buried in attics across the US, unfortunately. So it is a blessing to find one I don't have!

 

why just the US.....I'd think these are hiding in european homes as well....

 

I am sure they probably are, if not more so because they originated there! I think the ones that did make their journey here were sent from soldiers in the 1950s to their families as a gift overseas.

 

I would think if that were true.....many would not have been packed or handled well enough to survive the trip intact !!

 

Welcome catsandtats.
I too remember the poodles, as king said, but not the cats. I am in Europe, if I ever come across any, I'll let you know.

 

Hi,
I have not seen these cats in a long time. When I lived in Brooklyn in the 1980s most Italian homes had a least one or two cats like yours. Every house had at least one big red bull also but not spaghettied.
greg

 

Here's another photo for your collection. I sold this some years ago. It was a real bear to package safely and I kicked myself for buying it but it was too cute to pass up!

 

As you noted in your original post most of these unique figurines were made in Italy during the 1950’s and 1960. They are not, however, Majolica but rather simply glazed earthenware. Most were exported simply with the “Made in Italy” mark but many were signed or bore the company logo and these can be quite valuable and can catch the attention of different collectors.
I believe that the concept of the “Spaghetti” pets probably had their origin in the studio of Teodoro Sebelin. Doro, as he was best known was born 1890 into a family of Ceramcist in Nove in the province of Vincenza (near Venice). He began working in his father’s studio in 1902. In 1921 he opened a studio with partners Zarpellon and Zanolli. ZSZ, in time, grew in international reputation. Sebelin was the modeler and sculptor for the firm. In all he created over 3,000 figurines. It didn’t take long for the other studios in the area to create their own versions. Among those from the Nove and Bassano regions were the Perdomello brothers, Agnostella and Dal Pra, Luigi Fabris and Ronzan. The town of Nove housed over two hundred potteries.
With the success of the figurines in Nove and Bassano several figurine makers in Milan joined in. These included the families Cacciapuoti and the Mollica.
Good luck in your adventure in collecting.

 

catsntat6 just curious if any of your cute cats are marked with something other than Italy. That set that jakatch had would have looked great in your collection. So cute!

 

OMG!!! I feel like I need to comb my EYES!!!! Those 'spaghetti' cats are SO intriguing!!!!!! AND ADORABLE!!!!!!

 

Yes, unfortunately I have only a couple of them that are in flawless condition, all of the others have at least one of their hairs missing!

 

I have one like that, after I got the ring as a Christmas gift it was my first one I purchased online.