Chimney piece, half majolica or faience covered with engobe and varnished, 1770s
(made by Fabbrica Dallari)

1753. An archival note records that 283 hand-painted pieces like this one were consigned for the chimney pieces of the Stuccoed Apartment in Sassuolo’s Ducal Palace.

They were produced by the ceramic manufactory run by Giovanni Maria Dallari. This was the dawn of the manufactory’s history, and Francesco III d’Este had just given Dallari the monopoly for producing ‘Majolica, both ordinary white and painted’ – a type of tile that enjoyed great success and was reproduced with variations for decades.

This, however, is not majolica but engobed and varnished terracotta. The surface was first covered with a clay-like layer and fired with the white engobe, after which a glaze or transparent glass coating was applied to protect the surface without altering the adornments and colouring. As well as reducing the porosity of the terracotta, this double coating made it possible to apply drawn or painted decorations thanks to the white ground of the engobe

Cooler for table bottle, majolica, second half of 18th century
(made by Fabbrica Dallari)

This cylindrical cooler with a lid and large base was modelled on the most refined examples of eighteenth-century silverware, like the dry-food and soup tureens alongside.

It is exuberantly decorated with a painted bouquet of flowers and leaves held together by a purple ribbon. The rich tonalities of the floral reliefs are astounding.

The cooler was placed on the table and filled with ice, snow or cold water into which a wine bottle was immersed. Coolers were usually shared between two guests.

This example is one of Giovanni Dallari’s best works. The son of the pioneer Giovanni Maria, Giovanni junior was a notary, a skilled ceramicist, a poet, a playwright and politician.

He sought to increase the cosmopolitan spirit of the manufactory by involving the great painter Pietro Lei and Leopoldo Finck, a ceramicist of Viennese origin.

The manufactory’s technical and artistic expertise thus evolved, making the quality of certain items timeless. This cooler is certainly one of the most important examples.

Fish tureen, majolica, 1860s
(made by Fabbrica Dallari)

What is wonder if not the capacity to spark a vivid and unexpected flash of admiration and surprise?

The eighteenth century celebrated the fashion, dating back to the Renaissance, of imitating the forms of nature in majolica.

Services were created that reproduced vegetables – pumpkins and cabbages – as well as animals – chickens, turkeys, pheasants, ducks, geese, wild boar heads, pigs and deer. Laying the table and dining became an experience of constant amazement.

This is exemplified by the tureen with a lid in the form of a gurnard fish, with fin-shaped handles and an oval body adorned with relief and painted motifs. It was probably made by the ‘famous sculptor’ from Livorno, Pietro Giraud, maybe of French origin.

Though he produced undeniably enchanting works, Giraud lived a life of restlessness. He worked in different manufactories, in Lodi, Naples, Faenza, Florence, before arriving in Sassuolo, in 1765, to teach the young apprentices. As had happened on other occasions, a few months after arriving, he escaped, to Nove di Bassano, this time also abandoning his wife.

His stay in the Sassuolo area was thus brief, but his style can be recognised in the dancing Chinese figures now in the Museo Civico d’Arte in Modena and in a private collection, and in the extraordinary centrepiece featuring Neptune for the Ducal Palace in Sassuolo, copied from Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s fountain, also in a private collection.

Dish, majolica, around 1780s
(made by Fabbrica Dallari)

Towards the end of the eighteenth century, Giovanni Maria Dallari called to his side his son Giovanni, who welcomed his friend Pietro Lei to the manufactory. Lei had found fame through his work as ‘first painter’ with the Callegari and Casali in Pesaro.

The quality of Lei’s work can be seen in this service of plates. Of particular note is the platter with a scalloped edge and ‘fin’ grips, which forms part of a ‘flowers and figures’ collection, a type also found on the manufactory’s price list.

The decorative details derive from different worlds, mostly imaginary. Half figures, knights, animals, cherubs, shepherds, nymphs, seahorses, mythological deities, and couples come to life on plates and pots of different shapes and sizes. They often stand at the centre of bouquets of multicoloured flowers – tulips, anemones, cornflowers, forget-me-nots, arnica.

The decorations were executed in two different ways: the flowers without outlines, known as ‘fine flowers’ were freely painted and the ‘outlined flowers and figures’ have  contours painted with manganese brown.

Dish known as ‘Saxon-style’ with fox-shaped handles, majolica, after 1782
(made by Fabbrica Dallari)

Leopold Finck and his brother Joseph were originally from Vienna and later moved to Bologna. They are the protagonists of a ceramics production that flooded the market in the mid-eighteenth century and found great success among the upper rungs of local society.

But the two fell out and, in 1788 Leopoldo moved to Sassuolo to work for Giovanni Dallari. There, he shared with Dallari the secret of the paints used for firing in a ‘small fire’, better known as ‘third firing’. The process was described in the unique ‘book of secrets’ now on show in Galleria Marca Corona.

With the painter Pietro Lei, Finck set in motion a technological renewal at the Dallari manufactory. He also introduced new forms, such as the round plates on the last shelf of this display case.

Finck remained in Sassuolo for about a year, leaving works of notable quality. The rectangular platter with rounded corners and two fox-shaped handles was probably a collaboration between him and Pietro Lei.

The elegance of the forms and the decoration are astounding. The flowers, the so-called ‘crater’ rose, carnations and tulips, are all made in an identical way and can be attributed to Lei.

Small, elliptical platter, perhaps part of a confinement set, earthenware, second quarter of the 19th century
(made by Fabbrica Ferrari Moreni)

In 1836 the manufactory passed from the Dallari brothers to Count Gio. Francesco Ferrari Moreni - in complex financial conditions.

In order to survive, the count looked both to classical models and contemporary production in Savona, England and above all Venice.

A leading exponent of the Modenese nobility, Moreni showed unexpected tenacity and entrepreneurial flair. He set about reorganising the manufactory, calling in new modellers and painters trained at Modena’s Academy of Fine Arts.

He proposed innovative materials and greater use of earthenware, which had been used in Sassuolo for decades, and which has recently been hailed as being among the best in Italy.

The same is true of the glazes. By including more lead, his white attained a level of brightness and softness for which it became famous.

The Ferrari Moreni catalogue lists products that are linear, sober and elegant, in line with the tastes of the archducal family. This plate, originally accompanied by an elliptical soup dish, perhaps formed part of a confinement service.

Inkwell in the form of a sarcophagus, earthenware, 1830s
(made by Fabbrica Fontebasso, Treviso or Ferrari Moreni)

This object may refer to the power of writing to defeat time, in the sense that words written with ink can last longer than he or her who wrote them.

The earthenware inkwell is divided into three parts. The lid represents a sad young man, seated and holding the sickle of Father Time, which is lowered to represent time passing. Beside him is an amphora for holding pens.

The inside is divided into three trays: for dust or sand and ink. The base has  an adorned edge with festoons, relief masks and goats’ feet. Both the base and part of the lid are finished in blue ‘marbling’.

The object, rich in metaphors and allusions, comes from a patrician house in Modena and has thus been attributed to Sassuolo, but a series of studies suggests that it was produced by the Fontebasso Manufactory, the most famous and prestigious nineteenth-century ceramic producer in Treviso.

Other pieces from the collection, along with more recent insights, show the extent to which Ferrari Moreni was attracted to and influenced by the style of Venetian manufacturers, especially those in Este and Treviso.

Classical-style amphora, earthenware, third decade of the 1800s
(made by Fabbrica Ferrari Moreni)

The taste for a classical, almost archaeological style, made inroads into Ferrari Moreni’s production, albeit slightly later than at other manufactories.

This small amphora with reliefs, inspired by typical examples from Herculaneum, is characteristic of the neoclassical taste. Of particular note are the group of dancers within a crown and the shapes of the two handles, with reliefs and a medallion.

The penchant for archaeology recurs in many decorative ranges, showing the Sassuolo manufactory moving in the direction of an antiquarian aesthetic.

This taste was in line with late eighteenth-century fashions, and above all with the recommendations and quite possibly the will of the archducal court, which returned to Modena with the Restoration.

Archduchess Maria Beatrice Vittoria of Savoy was herself an able painter and pushed in this direction. After becoming president of the Academy of Fine Arts, she did her utmost to guide its stylistic direction.

The applied arts became a tool of propaganda for one of the most conservative governments in Italy. Similarities with the Fontebasso manufactory in Treviso, part of the Habsburg Empire, is further evidence of how Ferrari Moreni was not only a man of court but also its spokesperson.

Night lamp in three parts, earthenware, second quarter of the 19th century
(made by Fabbrica Ferrari Moreni)

Electricity and the comforts of modern life were yet to come – which is why this object exemplifies the beauty of past times but also embodies the spirit of an age.

This kind of night light is typical of the period from the late eighteenth to the end of the nineteenth century.

It has a dual function: as well as emitting a faint light at night, it could also be used to keep a tea or other drink warm.

It is composed of several pieces: a teapot with a lid, which is missing, a cylindrical base for the teapot and the godet, that is, a small tray where a candle or wick for oil was placed, and beneath that, an inkwell.

Typical of Ferrari Moreni’s production, this cylindrical object was inspired by models from the Fontebasso Manufactory in Treviso, which are adorned with a rich decorative repertoire of festoons, masks, tracery, painted palmettes and harpies in white and blue.

Coffee cups, earthenware, second quarter of the 19th century
(made by Fabbrica Ferrari Moreni)

According to historical sources, majolica cups first emerged in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century: these were low receptacles, their rim wider rim than their base, and came with or without a lid. When coffee arrived in Italy in the seventeenth century, it was served in cups without handles.

Only later did saucers arrive. These not only served as rests, but also to cool down the coffee. The drink was poured into the saucer and drunk from it.

This strange custom soon disappeared in favour of the cup, which became both a useful item and a vehicle of refinement and style.

We see this in these plates and cylindrical cups, which form part of elegant table services decorated with interwoven white and blue flowers, with eighteenth-century chinoiserie, neoclassical festoons or landscapes.

The cylindrical form, like the shape of the handles, was popular in both Pesaro and the Veneto.

Toothpick holder, earthenware, circa 1846
(made by Fabbrica Ferrari Moreni Manufacture)

Throughout Europe, the late eighteenth century ushered in major changes in table settings. Tablecloths were bedecked with new kinds of objects in porcelain and silver.

These items were initially the privilege of the wealthy but thanks to the use, firstly, of majolica and later earthenware (a supple material that’s easy to model), tableware gradually appeared in ever increasing numbers in other homes.

Secondary items such as mustard pots, spice and sugar sprinklers, cruet stands, saltshakers, knife rests and, above all, toothpick holders came into being. The toothpick is a very old instrument of oral hygiene, often made from wood or from the root of an aromatic plant.

It was Ferrari Modeni who introduced these items to the Sassuolo Manufactory. The 1846 ‘general price list’ lists ‘commedia dell’arte’ figurines in white and polychrome earthenware, described as ‘Istrice’s toothpick holder’, ‘Arlecchino’s toothpick holder’ and ‘Spagnoletto’s toothpick holder’.

Of the three on show, one is painted in polychrome and is in a different pose. The other two, also in earthenware, bear small differences due to touches made by hand before firing, even though they came from the same mould.

Similar examples can be seen in Modena’s Museo Civico d’Arte.

Shaving bowl, majolica, third quarter of the 19th century
(made by Fabbrica Ferrari Moreni)

In the nineteenth century, a more elaborate style of beard became widespread thanks to the emergence of more modern and less dangerous shaving instruments. At that time, long sideburns and upturned moustaches became the fashion for men.

To aid the practice of shaving, the earliest wash basins appeared along with the first steel razors and soap.

This round basin has a very wide brim and a semi-circular hollow on the edge to support the neck as one shaved.

The bowl was not designed for professional use but for everyday use, at home.

The service usually also included a jug for hot water, decorated in the same way. In this case, the decoration is a lattice or trellis and a small, repeated cross.

This ornamental motif enjoyed much success in other manufactories too. In Sassuolo, it was used widely on a range of different kinds of tableware.

Central column pot stand, majolica, last quarter of the 19th century
(Sassuolo, Fabbrica Carlo Rubbiani)

With the unification of Italy, provincial and national exhibitions emerged. Under the direction of Domenico Bagnoli initially and Carlo Casaltoli subsequently, Rubbiani products made a great leap in terms of quality and became increasingly aligned to contemporary fashions.

These products include a series of monumental furnishings in polychrome majolica inspired by Renaissance production, and tile panels decorated in a range of styles.

The tiles proved to be a great success as ceramics became part of the furnishings of every home, particularly those of the upper bourgeoisie.

One such example is this column composed of four parts, one of which (the plant stand) has been lost.

The first block (the base) is octagonal in shape, painted as lapis lazuli and adorned with a voluminous crown of flowers. This is topped by a stem-shaped trunk decorated with Raphaelesque motifs, the Rubbiani coat of arms and a garland of cherub-heads in high relief set into shields decorated with flowers and leaves.

This very complex decorative scheme is attributed to Carlo Casaltoli, who is represented by other very elegant pieces here, at Galleria Marca Corona and the Museo d’Arte di Modena.

On the upper part is an octagonal ring which covers the block upon which the last vase stood.

Even more interesting is the client: the Foresti family of Carpi were nobles but later became industrialists and important landowners. To this family was born Pietro, a well-known art collector, whose beautiful home in Carpi still stands today. This column comes from there, as noted in an inventory dated ‘1893 - A column with a large vase from the Rubbiani factory in Sassuolo. Beautiful paid 450 lire’.

Pair of satyr-shaped shelves, majolica, end of 1850s/beginning of 1860s
(made by Fabbrica Giovanni Maria Rubbiani)

Satyrs are mythological creatures with a human body and various animal traits, such as ears, tail, legs and sometimes goat horns.

These shelves, which are modelled and coloured, are in the shape of a satyr. In the mid-nineteenth century, such objects enjoyed considerable commercial success. These two can perhaps to be attributed to Luigi Rubbiani, third son of Giovanni Maria Rubbiani, who from 1854 owned the two ceramic factories in Sassuolo at the time.

Luigi graduated with honours in modelling and sculpture from the Atestina Academy of Fine Arts in Modena. He produced various objects inspired by the eclectic and historicist taste typical of this transition period of the United Italy, which were highly appreciated and in demand, both critically and commercially. They recall the sumptuous Renaissance ceramics that brought such success and fame to Italian majolica.

Luigi died prematurely and left a large family, which was adopted by his uncle Antonio. The business then passed to Domenico Bagnoli from Correggio, who became director of the Fabbrica Vecchia.

Centrepiece in the shape of a bag (or ‘basket’), maybe for holding newspapers, earthenware, last quarter of the 19th century
(made by Fabbrica Rubbiani)

Eager to offer an ever-richer selection of ceramic objects, the Rubbiani expanded their production of furnishings and decorations for the home.

They produced objects and trinkets for all budgets, be they centrepieces or ornaments, and were alert to the tastes of the period, which can strike us as kitsch.

This basket is one such product. It is perhaps a newspaper holder shaped as a bag, inspired by the most popular and widespread examples in the Modena area at that time: Carpi basketry. These were elegant and elaborate items, above all the hats, which rivalled the straw hats made in Florence.

The art of basketry emerged in Carpi in the sixteenth century and consists of extracting thin strands - shavings – of the same thickness, length and width from the trunks of willow and poplar trees.

Mechanisation made it possible to massively increase this type of production: once the long strands were woven, they could be used for hats, bags and more.

The success of the hats - light, cheap, waterproof and useful for providing shade from the heat of the Po Valley – also reached beyond Italy thanks to the National and International Exhibitions. The factories could be run cheaply, which, after the war, became an all-important factor in launching the area’s textile industry.

Large ornamental vase, majolica and earthenware (handles), 1880s
(made by Fabbrica Carlo Rubbiani)

By the 1880s, the production of ceramics found new impetus.

The Carlo Rubbiani Manufactory invited talented and experienced modellers and painters to work with them, who signed pieces as authored works.

This vase represents the rich production of that period, which saw a collaboration between the Modenese modeller/painter Silvestro Barberini and the Florentine painter Carlo Casaltoli.

Barberini, who trained at Modena’s Academy of Fine Arts and was responsible for the vase’s handles, arrived at the Rubbiani Manufactory around 1885, shortly after Casaltoli arrived in Sassuolo.

Together they produced some of Sassuolo’s best and most monumental objects of that time, very much in line with prevailing fashions and taste.

It is no coincidence that Casaltoli would also become a successful advertising designer and Barberini, one of the most sought-after sculptors in late nineteenth-century Emilia.

Plaques and wall tiles, majolica, end of the 19th century/first quarter of the 20th century
(Fabbrica Carlo Rubbiani and others)

The first tile was created in Wedgwood, England, around 1840, when Richard Prosser patented the dry pressing method which reduces both drying times and the risk of deformations during firing.

In 1891, when Carlo Rubbiani died, the Sassuolo factory was at the forefront of the industrial production of majolica tiles. Already technically advanced through their production of road signs, the Rubbiani then acquired and used tile technology. As a decorative element, tiles covered large surfaces in imitation of the ceramicists of the past, as seen in the panels still at Galleria Marca Corona and the Rubbiani Tomb in the cemetery of San Prospero in Sassuolo.

The Sassolese tile was probably first shown at the Bologna Exhibition of 1888 and, more significantly, the National Exhibition of Ceramic and Glass Art at Rome’s Museo Artistico Industriale in 1889. Here the Rubbiani’s ‘essay of majolica tiles’ for floors and walls were shown instead of the usual vases and furnishings, sparking a certain distrust among other exhibitors but great curiosity among visitors.

The transition towards industrial tile production required a great economic push, which led to the original administrative structure being dissolved. However, the Rubbiani’s experience became a forerunner to the birth and development of other factories in the region, which continue to produce tiles today.