Advertising sketch for the Ceramica Richard-Ginori Company

Dated to the first decade of the twentieth century, the sketch advertising the Milan branch of Richard-Ginori is inspired by the Liberty style. Executed in charcoal, pencil, and watercolor on paper, it depicts various types of products made by the factory. Among stacked plates, small dishes with a decorated rim possibly featuring floral motifs, a long-necked vase, and cups, some Art Nouveau style objects can be seen. The vase with a circular mouth in the foreground on the left shows on its slightly bulging body a decoration of stylized flowers, similar to other examples preserved at the Ginori Museum (inv. 2456). The tureen with a lid also features a radiating stem ornament on the outer part of the vessel.

The floral theme was widely used by Richard-Ginori during its adoption of the Liberty style in the early years of the twentieth century, encouraged by the artistic director Luigi Tazzini. These motifs also accompany the search for new forms, often zoomorphic, as evidenced by the vase with facing peacocks, the true protagonist of the sketch. A masterpiece of Richard-Ginori’s Art Nouveau period design, the piece is preserved in its large white porcelain version at the Ginori Museum (inv. 2001). The peacocks, animals symbolizing Liberty for their graceful nature, are depicted resting on the shoulder of the vase, ideally covering it with both their feathered tails.

The advertising poster was meant to showcase the best that the Doccia Manufactory could offer and to demonstrate its adherence to the popular styles of the time.