Venice Travel Poster
The winged lion has long been the traditional symbol of Venice, ever since the remains of St. Mark were brought to the city in the early 800’s. You can find statues of the lion everywhere in the city, but most noticeably in St. Mark’s Square.
Early history of Venice pottery
Archaelogical excavations have unearthed precious artefacts that date the first appearance of pottery in the Venice lagoon vicinity to the 6th century. Venice was one of the first pottery centres in Italy, the oldest decorated plates found date back to the first half of the 1200’s. The original Venice potteries were concentrated in the area of San Polo and ancient kilns have been found in this location.The first Venetian dishes used two different traditions : Byzantine graffito and Islamic majolica ware.
In 1301 there were already many Venetian potters and they formed a corporation called ” Capitolare dell Arte ” of the ” Scutelari de piera ” This later become known as the Bochaleri and was also traditionally known as the Vasai del Leone ” ( the potters of St. Mark’s Lion ) In the 13th and 14th Centuries, Venetian pottery displayed distinctive geometric plant motifs, either hand painted or scratched using grafitto techniques. At the end of the 1300’s new forms and designs appeared in Venice, such as palmettes, lozenges, birds and animals. Towards the mid 1500’s a more refined style emerged using human figures ( mostly on vases for engagement and wedding gifts ). Also plates decorated with the names and descriptions of local dishes were in vogue. Landscapes and Roman ruins became popular themes in the 16th century for plate decoration.
La Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista by Peter Lombardo,Venice
1478 – 1481
The potters that migrated to Venice form Marche and Faenza in the 1400’s brought about a revival of the majolica enamel glazes. Many workshops run by artists flourished producing wall plates and other majolica wares depicting historical figures and scenes. The introduction of majolica wares into the Venetian area brought about remarkable changes in the organization of this industry. Majolica (named after the island of Majorca, from where its technique of production was imported to Italy in the thirteenth century) was a much better material for dinner services and offered greater possibilities for decoration than mezza maiolica.
A severe recession n the 1700’s eventually crippled production. In 1773 there were over 30 active potteries, but this was reduced to a few at the end of the century and the Bochaleri Corporation was abandoned. Some of the pottery manufactures that flourished into the 1800’s were Antonibon, Cozzi, and Fiorina Fabris.
Italian majolica plate – Doge Enrico Dandolo crowns Baldwin I (Baudoin), Emperor of Byzantium (1204-1205)
Murano handkerchief vase – Venini Fazzoletto
1940’s
Moorish trader statue in Cannaregio, Venice Italy
bautisterias on Flickr
Vintage Italian Majolica Byzantine Portrait & Bird Mosaic Vase
Vintage Italian Majolica Byzantine Portrait & Bird Mosaic Vase
Vase and teapot – Dolcetti – ( twicemodern.wordpress.com )
Giacomo Dolcetti was born in Venice in 1893 and he established his ceramics studio there in 1921 which he called “The Potter’s House”.
Cozzi Pottery coffee pot – Venice
1775
Monumental San Polo Ceramic Vase by Otello Rosa
24.5 inches height, circa 1950
Venice altar
photo – Carla Coulson
Cantagalli winged lion – Italan pottery, Venice
Lilac Africanist Murano Glass sculpture – 60’s
Giacomo Mantegazza (1853-1920) – Lovers and chaperone meeting on the Venetian canal
Venice-Santa Maria dei Miracoli
It is one of the earliest buildings of the Renaissance style to be built in Venezia
San Polo harlequin vase
17th Century Venezia vessel for herb storage
The Minuet or Carnivale Scene 1754 – 55
Giandomenico Tiepolo
( Musee Du Louvre )
St. Marks facade
Venice, Italy
Venetian Lion
Carlos Marchiori
Italian Pottery – Painted Bowl, San Polo Venice
Venetian Pitcher
Venetian Green Goblet – 1500
( V & A Museum )
San Polo dish
Illuminated harlequin sculpture by Otello Rosa for San Polo
Venice Italy
1950’s
Murano glass owls
Murano glass vase
2012
Venice & Murano Glass & Mosaic 1872
( V & A Museum )
Robert Frederick Blum (American, 1857-1903) Venice, 1883.
Rookwood vase, Venetian harbor scene, covered in a beautifully fired high glaze, executed by Carl Schmidt in 1923.
Murano Glass Sculpture
TALISMAN lONDON
‘Comedia-dell-arte’ vase – San Polo
1955
Raymor carved Bitossi style vase
Horses at St Mark’s Basilica, Venice
Street in Venice is an c. 1882 oil on wood painting by the American artist John Singer Sargent. Painted in a post-impressionist manner, it is set in a quiet backstreet off the Calle Larga dei Proverbi, near the Grand Canal in Venice.
Murano Glass Flame Shaped Vase by Celotto
55th Venice Bienalle 2013
Midcentury Italian Pedestal Bowl
Murano glass vase entitled VIRGO by Andrea Zilio
VASE “Cattedrale” from Perelda of Pollio, 1955
Philip Jackson (British, b. 1944) ‘La Scala’.
Philip Jackson (British, b. 1944) ‘Doge’s Gondolier’, c. 1997, bronze, 37 ” height
Venice Billboard
Italian turquoise sgraffito ceramic lamp with lion motifs.
Vase TESSUTO by Carlo Scarpa, 1951, execution by Venini & Co
Majolica earthenware plate -Venetian noblewoman in purple dress. Giocomo Dolcetti
Majolica Tray – John Petucco
Large dish with characters of the Commedia dell’Arte.
width 47cm
Venetian inkstand
1710
Venetian Blackamoor statue – Palazzo Bernardo, Venice
Venice – Lion at the Arsenal
Venice ceramic mermaid sculpture – San Polo