Antique cachepot in historiated polychrome majolica,
made in central Italy (Pesaro or Castelli area)
second half of the 19th century.
Wheel-crafted in pale terracotta
with a tin glaze coating.
Without a drainage hole,
ideal as an indoor planter or centerpiece.
Yellow ochre everted rim with a brown inner band and
notched external ribbing.
Hand-painted at high heat,
it depicts in the two main reserves
epic scenes from the Iliad:
Achilles dragging Hector's body along the walls of Troy and
a duel between heroes with divine intervention,
framed by laurel festoons and flowering vines.
The structure is completed by
two lateral handles in the form of a grotesque mask in relief and
three cobalt blue animal-pawed feet.
The artist's signature is located under the base
in manganese brown with the initials "A.ML.P."
Good condition, with no cracks or restorations
Minor chips consistent with its age
Dimensions:
• Height: 21.5 cm
• Inner diameter of mouth: 18 cm
• Maximum diameter (at the masks): 25 cm
