Blue Dolphins Vase

The lavish majolica vase, in the shape of a crater, recalls the ancient structure of the Greek cup that was used to mix water and wine. As far as the decoration concerns, the vase reinterprets the traditional repertoire of the rich Deruta style, but characterized by the use of only cold colors such as white cerium, grey and blue. On the external surface of the object there are naturalistic ornamental motifs which, in the upper part of the body, are transformed taking on the appearance of hybrid and metamorphic figures of animals; in the base of the vase, the contour bands are marked by stylized motifs in the shape of racemes and embrications which are repeated, adapting themselves, along the different widths of the circumferences. The internal surface is, also, completely decorated and it repeats the same ornamental pattern as the external one: in the bottom of the krater, there are animals similar to dolphins and spiral motifs, both expertly colored with light shades of grey, so as to stand out against the blue background; the decorative strip around the wall is marked by modular stylized naturalistic motifs that are repeated along the entire circumference, characterized by dense weaves of black lines and light grey backgrounds. The handles, in the shape of coiled snakes that twist together, add to the vase a valuable elegant and whimsical appearance.

COLORS: cerium oxide, grey, Deruta blue.
DIMENSIONS: Width: 42 cm (16.5 in.), Depth: 30cm (11.8 in.), Height: 27cm (10.6 in.)