The Sgraffito Bird

A hand-decorated earthenware jug by Fratelli Fanciullacci, the Fanciullacci brothers' pottery at Montelupo Fiorentino. The decoration is worked in sgraffito — incised through the slip and filled with colour — showing a stylised bird among scrolling foliage in oxblood, green and ochre across the shoulder, over incised banding below, with a dark, moulded rope-twist handle. A generous, rounded form with a pinched pour.

Fratelli Fanciullacci pieces are increasingly sought by collectors, and the coloured sgraffito bird is among the pottery's most characteristic motifs. This one is signed. It reads well on a sideboard, shelf or dresser, on its own or holding dried stems.

Origin: Italy (Tuscany)
Sourced in: Turin
Era: c.1950s–1960s
Maker: Fratelli Fanciullacci (Montelupo Fiorentino)
Materials: Glazed earthenware, polychrome sgraffito decoration
Dimensions: 23cm x 23cm
Attribution: Signed "FF" to the base 
Condition: Good vintage condition, commensurate with age, with rubbing and wear to the slip ground consistent with use and the rustic finish. Tiny chip on the handle and rim as shown in the photographs.