Italian Pottery Marks

Walter ....thank you for setting up this site. I hope you can get a huge library here in photos. It is a fantastic learning tool. We've been collecting a few pieces of Italian pottery for a few year. However we are just begining to realize the artist talent, beauty and humanity each piece has. When I hold this piece; I can honestly feel the sole of the artist. It is simply beautiful.
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Note: Please see revised and amended history of this factory in the "Histories, News and Discussion" sections

The Fanciullacci pottery was established on the island of Capraia in 1862 by Rafaello Fanciullacci (1803-1881), the son of a Goatherd who's mother was originally from Montelupo. The company originally confined itself to making simple, utilitarian, table and kitchenware, jars, etc (stovigliere, in Italian).
By the late 1870's he was joined by his son, Demetrio (1841-1895) and later, by Demetrio's sons, the brothers Ilario (1862-1924), Giovanni (1864-1933), Amadeo (1863-1933) and Alfredo (1880-1961). By 1880 the pottery's name was changed to The Brothers (Fratelli) Fanciullacci.
After Rafaello's death the family began looking for a less expensive means to get their products to the main markets in Tuscany as shipping costs from the island to the mainland had increased. In 1911 it was decided that Montelupo, near Florence was ideal. The brothers had relatives in the town from their grandmother's side of the family. Those family ties proved invaluable in making business and banking contacts. The second reason for choosing Montelupo was the arrival of the Florence-Pisa railroad through the town's center. With the railroad in place the firm had an easy, inexpensive, means of getting their product to vital cities in Italy and at the same time reduce their selling prices to an extremely attractive wholesale cost.
They were such an immediate success that by 1914 the company had over 1,000 different molds thus making their range of offerings one the most appealing in the country and making the pottery the largest employer in the area.
During these early years the firm continued to concentrate on the manufacture of stovigliere but slowly branched out onto a rich repertoire of artistic products. They understand the pulse of the Italian people and produced works in the latest styles as soon as they appeared. They created new items in Raffaellesco, Istoriati, Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Futurism, Cubism, Modernism, Avante-Garde. Whatever the public wanted the brothers gave them. In 1966, a dispute broke out among family members as to what direction the company should be taken. It was decided that the best solution was to open a second factory in Florence. It proved to be a fatal decision. The Florence factory failed within three years. Production and quality slipped dramatically in Montelupo after 1966 and this is the year given by collectors as the last of Fanciullacci ceramics worthy of collecting. The Montelupo factory was able to struggle along for another two decades but finally closed its doors in 1988.
Walter Del Pellegrino

Hello everyone

Just came across these candle holders by Fratelly Fanciullacci. They are deep blue glossy glaze with applied decoration which reminds me of cake icing The area in the oval shapes around the body is unglazed, textured and very rough to the touch. I love the fact that the design appears to be between an old-fashioned aesthetic and a more modernist one. I would date them to late 1960s to early 1970s. Am i right?

Carlo

Carlo,
Your dates are correct and thank you for sharing your photos of these candle holders. These are beautifully done and shows that creative spark that this company was known for. What a stunning glaze. I love them. Very few examples of the paper label survived the decades. They are a wonderful addition to any collection.
Walter

Hello again

Just wanted to share with you another example of mid-20th century pottery from Fratelli Fanciullacci. It is a tall (just over 30cm) vase with an elongated neck and a small flared rim. On one side it has a handpainted illustration of a stylised village on a hill, whilst on the back only one lonely house is depicted. Quite different from the other pieces in this thread.





Carlo

Hello Walter,
It is a pleasure to discover your forum...
Please look on my website http://www.ceramic-signatures.com in the Italian section,
I have photographed some very interesting Fanciullacci pieces from the 1950's.
My latest discovery is this floorvase, which I attribute to the Fanciullacci brothers,
because of the other FF signed pieces (same material, glazing, "Italy" handwriting, ect.)
This vase is huge (46cm high and has a diameter of 24cm), various ladies are incised and
partly glazed. Made around 1959? Amazing pottery piece, radiating the spirit of the 50's well.

Nic Wertenbroek

I bookmarked your fantastic website a long time ago and I visit it often. I'm not certain I agree with your attribution but certainly it is a distinct possibility. Many importers who have contracts with factories insist that items produced strictly for their own sales and distribution do not contain any factory markings or logos.

Walter