Vintage Labor Deruta Italy Monumental 16" Maiolica Urn Centerpiece Hand Painted For Sale

Magnificent large vintage Labor, Deruta Italian hand-painted majolica pedestal urn centerpiece with extraordinary sculptural looping serpent handles and elaborate blue and white decoration.

This substantial piece measures approximately 16 inches wide by 13 inches tall and weighs approximately 9 1/2 pounds.

The urn is extensively hand painted with intricate Italian Renaissance-inspired decoration. One side features a profile portrait of a Renaissance-style woman surrounded by scrolling foliate ornament, while the remaining body is richly decorated with stylized birds, foliage, scrollwork and floral motifs. The interior is also decorated, including an elaborate hand-painted bird and foliate medallion in the bottom of the bowl.

Perhaps the most striking feature is the extraordinary sculptural serpent-form handle work. Four highly stylized serpents coil and intertwine around the vessel, their looping bodies rising dramatically above the rim. Each terminates in a modeled serpent head along the upper rim, complete with painted eyes and an extended tongue. The elaborate applied serpent forms give the piece exceptional sculptural presence from every angle.

The underside is hand marked "LABOR DERUTA."

Labor was a ceramic workshop established in Deruta, Italy in 1952 by Sante Pelli and known for traditional hand-decorated Italian maiolica.

CONDITION:

One section of the elaborate applied handle has previously been cracked slightly and repaired. The repaired area remains visible, and the broken edges do not meet completely flush. The repair is specifically disclosed here so the buyer is fully aware of its condition. The visibility of the injury Is on the inside belly of the winding serpent and could easily be catched up even further and I have priced accordingly.

Despite the old handle repair, this remains an exceptionally decorative and impressive large-scale example of Labor Deruta pottery.

Approximate measurements:

16" wide

13" tall

Weight:

9 1/2 lb

Maker:

Labor Deruta

Origin:

Deruta, Italy

Material:

Hand-painted glazed maiolica / earthenware

A dramatic statement piece for a collection of Italian ceramics, Deruta pottery, Mediterranean decor, Renaissance-inspired decorative arts or large-scale hand-painted art pottery.