Jar
ca. 1859 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Ginori company, founded in 1735 in Doccia near Florence, built its reputation on imitations of Italian lustred wares and maiolica of around 1500. Under the Marchese Lorenzo Ginori Lisci (d.1878), director from 1848, the pottery produced designs reflecting more varied and more contemporary tastes but also continued making its successful lustred wares. In 1896 the pottery came under the ownership of Giulio Richard who already owned other factories. Combined, the new company was known as the Società Ceramica Richard-Ginori.
This and five other pieces of Ginori were purchased by Henry Cole (1808-82) then Director of the South Kensington Museum (V&A) in 1859 directly from the manufacturer. The dishes are V&A 5443, 5444 and 5445-1859, the ewer is 5446- 1859, the other two pieces are plain white water-pots 5448 (& 5449-1859 no longer in the Museum collection). Cole visited Florence in late 1858 and early 1859 to acquire works of art for the collection. He was accompanied by Charles Drury Edward Fortnum (1820-99) a collector and connoisseur who advised Cole on many of the purchases.
This and five other pieces of Ginori were purchased by Henry Cole (1808-82) then Director of the South Kensington Museum (V&A) in 1859 directly from the manufacturer. The dishes are V&A 5443, 5444 and 5445-1859, the ewer is 5446- 1859, the other two pieces are plain white water-pots 5448 (& 5449-1859 no longer in the Museum collection). Cole visited Florence in late 1858 and early 1859 to acquire works of art for the collection. He was accompanied by Charles Drury Edward Fortnum (1820-99) a collector and connoisseur who advised Cole on many of the purchases.
Object details
| Object type | |
| Brief description | Water pot, white glazed earthenware, made by Richard Ginori, Italy (Doccia) 1850-59 |
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Object history | Bought from the maker, the 'Marquess Ginori, Florence' |
| Summary | The Ginori company, founded in 1735 in Doccia near Florence, built its reputation on imitations of Italian lustred wares and maiolica of around 1500. Under the Marchese Lorenzo Ginori Lisci (d.1878), director from 1848, the pottery produced designs reflecting more varied and more contemporary tastes but also continued making its successful lustred wares. In 1896 the pottery came under the ownership of Giulio Richard who already owned other factories. Combined, the new company was known as the Società Ceramica Richard-Ginori. This and five other pieces of Ginori were purchased by Henry Cole (1808-82) then Director of the South Kensington Museum (V&A) in 1859 directly from the manufacturer. The dishes are V&A 5443, 5444 and 5445-1859, the ewer is 5446- 1859, the other two pieces are plain white water-pots 5448 (& 5449-1859 no longer in the Museum collection). Cole visited Florence in late 1858 and early 1859 to acquire works of art for the collection. He was accompanied by Charles Drury Edward Fortnum (1820-99) a collector and connoisseur who advised Cole on many of the purchases. |
| Bibliographic reference | Frescobaldi Malenchini, Livia ed. With Balleri, Rita and Rucellai, Oliva, ‘Amici di Doccia Quaderni, Numero VII, 2013, The Victoria and Albert Museum Collection’, Edizioni Polistampa, Firenze, 2014
p. 131, Cat. 121
121. Water ewer
first half of the 19th century
maiolica
h 31 cm; max. diam. 23 cm
no mark
inv. C.5448-1859
purchase: Ginori Factory, 11d
The globular shape of this water ewer which, in contemporary documents, is always called a “mezzina”, with its semi circular handle and cylindrical spout imitates similar objects made of copper. The name mezzina appears inGinori price lists already in 1760 (GINORI LISCI, LIVERANI 1955, p. 82) and in another price list in 1844 (AMD, arm. 1, palc. 1, cart. 16, Copia dei prezzi […], 7 agosto 1844) in five different sizes (large, second, third, fourth and fifth). This type of mezzina is defined by the presence of a gorgon’s head at the ends of the handle inspired by similar reliefs manufactured by Wedgwood (REILLY, SAVAGE 1980, p. 235 ad vocem Medusa). Although this particular ewer is unmarked, the attribution to Doccia is supported by a note that registers its arrival at the museum in 1859 where it is described as “Modern Italian (Marquess Ginori, Florence)”. That same year, the director of the South Kensington Museum, Henry Cole, visited the Ginori store in Florence (WAINWRIGHT 1999, p. 173 and in this volume see p. 13 and cat. 65, 123). Moreover, in private collections in Florence there are two mezzine identical to this one with a mark impressed in the raw clay under the base: “GINORI” (MOORE VALERI 2011, p. 46, fig. 19) and “GINORI 20” (CHIOSTRINIMANNINI 2005, p. 41, cat. I.13). For almost all of the 19th century ewers of this type were manufactured by Ginori and many other Italian factories, in particular by Palme in Pisa, by Marcenaro and Sebastiano Folco in Savona. Rebecca Wallis tells us that this water ewer was bought with another identical one (inv. 5449-1859), which was de-accessioned in 1933 by the V&A as it had not been returned from ‘Circulation’ (V&A Archive, ED 84/425, 33/4654, “Deficiency list 5 a”, “Objects Transferred to Provincial Schools of Art, and not recovered”, 1933). Established in the 1850s, the Circulation Department was responsible for organising exhibitions which were loaned to regional museums, art galleries and schools. These exhibitions placed a particular emphasis on contemporary work, such as these pots, as examples of
good design and manufacture.
A.M.V.
Bibliography: unpublished |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 5448-1859 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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