Ceramics Moderno – Marcello Fantoni

 

Italian ceramics Maestro Fantoni

 

Raymor was a US import/distribution company of  home decor, based in NY and founded by Richard Irving. They built a special relationship with many European designers and this included Marcello Fantoni, for the emerging markets in the USA. In the early 50‘s,  postwar Italy was in recovery and needed exports while postwar America was booming and had a hunger for modern decor. The pottery styles of the talented Macrello Fantoni with his cutting edge designs were a perfect fit and his business flourished. This afforded him the freedom to experiment and be innovative and develop a unique range of stylish Mid-Century ceramic products.
Relative to the more classical trends at the time, Fantoni pushed the boundaries, with his bold 3D ceramic interpretations of the cubist art of  Picasso and Braque. These innovations were accepted and encouraged by importers and fortunately the market responded favourably.

Marcello Fantoni - abstract figure

Marcello Fantoni – abstract figure

( midcenturia.com )

Marcello Fantoni’s fascination with ceramic art stretches back to 1927, where he studied at the Institute of Art at Porta Romana. Here his formative years were influenced by ceramicist Carlo Guerrini, (artistic director of the Cantagalli factory) and other teachers including Libero Andreotti and Bruno Innocenti in sculpture and Gianni Vagnetti in figure art. He established the Fantoni Ceramic Studio in Florence in 1936 and featured  some of his pieces at  Florentine Arts and Crafts Exhibit in 1937 where it was widely embraced. In the later decades, especially from the 50’s to the 70’s, the success of Fantoni’s work continued to rise, his unique pieces of sculpture and ceramic formations being characterized by  designs in step with the contemporary artistic styles.

Most Mid-Century collectors covet a Marcello Fantoni piece for their flair and originality. Fantoni’s ceramic designs came to embody the timeless appeal of classic and traditional Italian pottery merged with challenging modernist and progressive movements. His  original spirit of modernity featuring  stylization inspired by Etruscan models were rendered modern because of the innovative adaptation of materials, glazes and colors and also his application of cubist abstractions. Fantoni represents a fascinating chapter in the evolution of Mid-Century modern ceramics.

 

Fantoni Pitcher

Fantoni modernist, monumental bottleneck vase, 1955

Converso

 

 

 

Fantoni ceramic sculpture

Fantoni ceramic sculpture

( sold by Craig Van Den Brulle, NY )

 Fantoni Figural statue-457x771

 Fantoni figural sculpture

 

 

 

Marcello Fantoni sculptural vessel

Marcello Fantoni sculptural vessel featuring a warrior with a shield and spear.

( artanddesignconnection.blogspot.com.au  )

 

 

 

Fantoni Italian Vase

Fantoni Italian Vase

( artanddesignconnection.blogspot.com.au  )

 

 

 

 

Fantoni modernist bottle

Fantoni modernist bottle

 

 

 

 

Fantoni Glazed Creamic Three bottles

Fantoni  – Three Element Glazed Ceramic Vase – 1956

 

 

 

 

20th century large Fantoni vase

20th century large Fantoni vase – 1959

 

 

 

Fantoni Hand Painted Ceramic Lamp

Fantoni Hand Painted Ceramic Lamp

( www.starkeld.com )

 

 

 

 

3 Fantoni vases

3 Fantoni vases{

( Maurice Beane Art & Design )

 

 

Las Vegas Antiques Roadshow appraisal of a Marcello Fantoni cubist Satyr figure

Appraised  by Stuart Slavid (Skinner, Boston)
August 2007


 

 

 

Fantoni Jug

Marcello Fantoni Jug

 

 

 

 

Fantoni Cylindrical vase

Fantoni Cylindrical vase

 

 

 

 

Fantoni modernist vase

Fantoni modernist vase

( cambiaste.com )

 

 

 

Italian Fantoni tri bottle sculpture

Italian Fantoni tri bottle sculpture

( Treadway Toomey Galleries )

 

 

 

Fantoni abstract sculpture

Fantoni abstract sculpture

( uncanny Australia shape )

 

 

 

Fantoni Handpainted Lamp

Fantoni Hand painted lamp

 

 

 

 

Fantoni Italian Vase

Fantoni Italian Vase with a warrior figure on a horse.

 

 

 

Fantoni Figural Vase

Marcello Fantoni Figural Vase

 

 

 

Fantoni Mid Century Vase

Fantoni Mid Century Vase

 

 

Fantoni Vase designed for Raymor

Fantoni Vase designed for Raymor

 

 

Fantoni bottiglia

Fantoni bottiglia, Italy

 

 

 

Fantoni ceramic sculpture

Fantoni ceramic sculpture

( 1stDibs )

 

 

 

Marcello Fantoni-B&W

Marcello Fantoni  1915 – 2011

 

 

 

Fantoni wall plaque

Fantoni  Mid-Century wall plaque

( www.starkeld.com )

 

 

 

Fantoni Italian pottery vase

Fantoni Italian pottery vase

 

 

 

 

Gossiping Ladies by Fantoni

‘ Gossiping Ladies ‘ cubist  ‘Satiro Innamorato’ sculptural lamp by Fantoni – mid 50’s

http://modernarmada.wordpress.com )

 

 

 

Fantoni drip glaze vases

Fantoni drip glaze vases

 

 

 

 

High cylindrical vase Fantoni

Tall cylindrical bottle vase  – Fantoni

 

 

 

 

Large sculpture abstract Fantoni

Large sculpture abstract Fantoni

 

 

 

 

LAu-Uniques-ans-Antiques.jpg-433x760

 Fantoni bottle

 

 

 

Marcello Fantoni Vase (1915)

Marcello Fantoni ovoid vase (1915)

 

 

 

 

FantoniPtichers.jpg-473x650

Fantoni tall modernist ptichers

 

 

 

 

 

Marcello Fantoni vase

Marcello Fantoni vase

 

 

 

 

Marcello Fantoni Figural Sculpture

Marcello Fantoni Figural Sculpture

 

 

Marcello-Fantoni-Vase-Flower-Pot-Modernist-Berlin-etsy

 Fantoni flower vase

Modernist Berlin etsy

 

 

 

Vase Fantoni

Italian Vase Fantoni

 

 

 

 

whimsical-cow-figure-decorated-with-geometric-shapes-in-polychrome-glazes.-Signed--Fantoni-Italy--Ragoarts

Fantoni abstract mid century cow sculpture

 

 

 

Huge-Fantoni-Table-Lamp-sputnlk-modern-41inches with harelquin warrior figure

Mid Century Harlequin warrior figure cylindrical lamp – Marcello Fantoni

Large 41 inches

Sputnik Modern, Dallas TX

 

 

Marcello-Fantoni-1960-33cm

Fantoni Slab Vase – 1960

height 33cm

 

 

 

Fantoni square bottle 50's

Fantoni 50’s bottle vase

Fantoni rectangular vase

Italian Fantoni rectangular  vase

 

 

MARCELLO-FANTONI-Etruscan-ceramic-vase-with-sgraffito-decoration--the-interior-covered-in-blue-glaze red on white exterior

 Etruscan sgraffito ceramic vase – Marcello Fantoni

Sold Rago Arts, NJ

 

 

 

Pair-of-Fantoni-Ceramic-Lamps 60's 32inches in height

 Pair of Fantoni 60’s lamps

 

 

 

5 Comments

  1. Natasha Lee
    Posted April 24, 2014 at 8:30 pm | Permalink

    He most definitely did push the boundaries. Ceramics in 3D are just remarkable.

  2. violeta varela
    Posted January 10, 2016 at 11:13 am | Permalink

    realmente maravilloso los colores aplicados con un gusto muy delicado, creativo que embellece todo.

  3. Ruth M Koch
    Posted June 19, 2017 at 5:44 am | Permalink

    Tell me about a fontini italy bullfrog planter blue green

  4. Martina Wehrenberg
    Posted June 25, 2018 at 9:55 pm | Permalink

    Guten Tag! Ich habe eine Frage,die blaue oben zu sehende Fantoni 50er Flaschenvase habe ich in rot-braun mit ITALY signiert könnte die Vase von Marcello Fantoni sein? Über eine Mail-Antwort würde ich mich freuen.Liebe Grüße Martina Wehrenberg.

  5. Jeri
    Posted December 19, 2021 at 5:47 am | Permalink

    Correction
    Marcello ***Fantoni***

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