Pottery and Porcelain, from early times down to the Philadelphia exhibition of 1876Elliott, Charles Wyllys
History
Pottery and Porcelain, from early times down to the Philadelphia exhibition of 1876
Elliott, Charles Wyllys
Pottery -- History; Pottery -- Marks
If they were his unassisted work, he deserves
as high a place among the modelers of his period as he is acknowledged
to have among artistic potters.
"Maestro Giorgio's manner of decoration consists of foliated scrolls and
other ornaments terminating in dolphins, eagles, and human heads,
trophies, masks, etc.; in the drawing of which he exhibited considerable
power, with great facility of invention. These 'grotesche' differ
materially from those of Urbino and Faenza, approaching more to the
style of some of the Castel-Durante designs. In the drawing of figures,
and of the nude, Giorgio cannot be ranked as an artist of the first
class. From 1519 his signature, greatly varied, occurs through
succeeding years. It would be useless to repeat the many varieties,
several of which will be seen in the large catalogue and among the marks
on specimens in other collections. We believe that to whim or accident
may be ascribed those changes that have tasked the ingenuity of
connoisseurs to read as other names. His finer and more important pieces
were generally signed in full, 'Maestro Giorgio da Ugubio,' with the
year, and sometimes the day of the month."
It may be said that the secret of this ruby-lustre was soon lost, and
has not been fully recovered; although admirable pieces are now made in
England.
It is impossible to convey in any engraving the subtile beauty imparted
by these lustres; it seems to me that this is by far the finest and most
fascinating quality of the maiolicas.
Of the work made at CASTEL-DURANTE but little need be said in addition
to what has been written upon the general subject of Italian maiolica.
This was a small town in the neighborhood of Urbino; which town since
then has been dignified with the name of Urbania, after Pope Urban VIII.
At Castel-Durante pottery was made long before it reached the name and
fame of maiolica. Through a book left by a potter of the place, named
Piccolpasso, it is perhaps better known than by the maiolica made
there. This manuscript book, which he illustrated with pen-and-ink
drawings, gives some account of the wares produced there. I believe the
book is now the property of the Kensington Museum at London. There are
some few signed examples of the maiolica of Castel-Durante in the
collections of England and of the Continent. I know of none in the
United States. Of a piece owned by Mrs. H. T. Hope, of England, Mr.
Robinson says in his enthusiastic way, "In the design and execution of
the painting, splendor of color, and perfection of enamel-glaze, this
magnificent piece is a triumph of the art."
The ware made here is said to be recognized by "a pale buff-colored
paste, and great richness and purity of the glaze." Still none but an
expert--a person who has made these productions a study--could
distinguish them from those made at some other Italian factories.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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