Royal Poodle Sculpture, Bassano Italy, 20th Century, 1920

Magnificent royal poodle in Bassano earthenware, superbly executed, its glass eyes give it a chic and almost real look. It is an astonishing piece that will look wonderful in an entrance or living room, Art Deco style, circa 1920 The history of Bassano earthenware is closely linked to that of the neighboring factories of Angarano and especially Nove. In the middle of the 16th century, around 1540, Simone Marinoni founded in Bassano, Italy, an earthenware factory mastering the majolica technique. In 1728, the Antonibon family founded its famous earthenware factory in the neighboring town of Nove. This factory will become the most important in the region in the 18th century and will remain active until the second half of the 19th century. This success will generate emulation and competition with the workshops of Bassano. The Minardi pottery founded in Bassano in the 17th century will produce earthenware from the 1730s. The Manardi sisters benefited from the reputation of Nove's productions, however, the activity suffered from competition from Nove and was finally forced to close in 1752. Around 1753, Giovanni Salmazzo, the son of the former director of Minardi, Gio Battista, founded his own factory in Bassano. In the 19th century, many other earthenware workshops were created. These were often artists from Nove such as Viero, Cecchetto, Marcon, Agostinelli, Minghetti, Passarin... At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, there was a beautiful production of spectacular earthenware pieces approaching sculpture. Bassano will also produce pieces in artistic porcelain, often white and with discreet touches of color.