20th Century Art Deco Ceramic Plaque Bas-Relief Statue, by Minghetti Bologna, Italy, 1890s

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Description

MEASUREMENTS:
Height: 25 cm; Width: 12.5 cm; Depth: 5 cm; Weight: 0.584 kg

Item :
Splendid and rare majolica ceramic … Read more MEASUREMENTS:
Height: 25 cm; Width: 12.5 cm; Depth: 5 cm; Weight: 0.584 kg

Item :
Splendid and rare majolica ceramic bas-relief plaque depicting the Madonna and Child, a period piece created by the historic Minghetti factory in Bologna. The ceramic sculpture was molded entirely by hand with a mold finish, a technique that allowed for a precise sculptural relief while maintaining the sensitivity of manual intervention in the details of the faces and clothing. The surface is entirely coated with glossy, thick polychrome enamels, applied using the spray and dabbing technique typical of early 20th-century Bolognese ceramics, which gives the colors a particularly evocative material depth. The decoration is perfectly in keeping with the Art Deco and modernist tastes of the 1930s: the Virgin's cloak, a deep, mottled, and speckled cobalt blue, stands out against the haloed nimbus, rendered in soft shades of forest green and oxidized rust red, while the Child's faces and body, with their stylized and expertly simplified lines, are treated in delicate cream and ivory tones, embellished with a patina that time has made even more fascinating. It is precisely these elements that make this work extraordinary and worthy of admiration: the incredible plastic modernity of the geometric shapes, the bold chromatic contrast between the glazes, and the characteristic natural craquelure of the surface, which is not a defect but a true sign of the piece's historicity and authenticity. The work dates back to the period between 1920 and 1940, the height of the 20th-century Art Deco movement, and was produced in Bologna. The back bears the authentic signature and painted factory mark, with the inscription "Minghetti Bologna Italy," which undoubtedly certifies the official authorship of the famous Bolognese workshop and provides fully documented attribution.

Information on the artist and/or manufacturer:
The work belongs to the historic Minghetti factory, founded in Bologna in 1858 by the renowned master ceramist Angelo Minghetti, which quickly became the absolute reference for Bolognese artistic ceramics. After the founder's death in 1885, management passed to his sons Gennaro and Arturo, and subsequently to his grandson Aurelio, under whose direction the factory took the name Ceramiche Artistiche Angelo Minghetti & Figli, before finally becoming a cooperative until its final closure in 1967. Initially renowned worldwide for its decorative triumphs in the Urbino Renaissance style, the factory underwent profound renewal during the twentieth century under the guidance of masters of great artistic sensitivity, participating in the most important national and international agricultural and industrial exhibitions of the time and, more recently, being celebrated in museum exhibitions dedicated to it. Its works are now held in Europe's most prestigious decorative arts museums and private collections, testifying to an artistic journey spanning over a century of Italian ceramic history, from the historicist taste of the nineteenth century to the full modernity of Art Deco, of which this devotional plaque represents a particularly successful and expressive example. In the latest photos we have included biographical information about the artist for those who want to learn more, with many of the brands used, including ours. This piece has an attribution mark,
I am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
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