A wonderfully extravagant vintage Italian ceramic fruit centrepiece, intricately modelled with an abundance of fruit and foliage in a beautiful soft cream glaze.
Made in Italy, the piece takes the form of an elegant pedestal bowl surmounted by an extraordinary arrangement of individually modelled fruit. Pears, apples, citrus fruits, grapes and leaves are piled high to create a wonderfully sculptural display, with each fruit carefully detailed to give the arrangement texture and depth.
But this piece has a surprise. The entire arrangement of fruit lifts away as a lid, revealing a generous ceramic bowl beneath. An intricate pierced border runs around the upper edge of the pedestal bowl, adding another layer of craftsmanship and making the piece just as attractive when opened as when displayed complete.
Finished entirely in a soft cream glaze, the monochrome colour allows the extraordinary modelling to take centre stage. Rather than relying on colour, the decoration comes from the different textures, shapes and shadows created by the fruit and foliage.
We have two available, each sold individually. They make spectacular decorative pieces in their own right but, where space allows, the pair would create a particularly impressive display.
Dimensions: 48.5 cm Height x 30cm Diameter
Vintage Italian ceramic fruit centrepiece
Pedestal bowl with removable fruit-covered lid
Modelled apples, pears, citrus fruits, grapes and foliage
Pierced decorative border
Cream glazed ceramic
Made in Italy
Condition
These are vintage ceramic pieces and show signs of age and previous use.
The complex applied decoration inevitably makes pieces of this type particularly susceptible to small chips, losses and historic repairs. There are visible age-related marks and areas of wear, together with small imperfections within the modelled fruit and foliage.
These signs of age form part of the character of the pieces rather than detracting from their considerable decorative impact.
Please study the photographs carefully, particularly the detailed images, as these form an important part of the condition description.
Why We Love Them
These are wonderfully theatrical pieces of Italian ceramics. At first glance they appear to be elaborate sculptural displays of fruit, but lifting off the entire fruit arrangement to reveal the bowl beneath makes them much more interesting.
We also love the decision to use a single cream glaze. With no strong colour to distract the eye, you really notice the modelling - the textured citrus fruit, individual grapes, leaves and different fruit forms - as well as the beautiful pierced detail around the bowl.
Styling Tip
This is a piece that deserves space. Display it in the centre of a large dining table, on a kitchen island or on an antique console where its height and sculptural form can be appreciated.
For a different look, display the bowl and fruit-covered lid separately, as shown in our photographs. The pierced pedestal bowl is decorative enough to stand alone while the extraordinary fruit arrangement becomes a sculptural object in its own right.
With two available, they could also be positioned as a pair at either end of a large console, sideboard or dining table for a fabulous symmetrical display.
SKU: 2384