Giustiniani - Dish - glazed earthenware - Tomb of Caius Cestius

Naples earthenware plate – Giustiniani Factory – “Tomb of Gaius Cestius” – early 19th century

Interesting and refined oval plate in Neapolitan earthenware, attributable to the production of the Giustiniani Factory, one of the most important ceramic manufactories active in Naples between the late 18th century and the first part of the 19th century.

At the center of the cavetto (lip) is hand-painted, within a rectangular reserve, a striking view of the Tomb of Gaius Cestius in Rome, a famous ancient monument that became one of the iconographic subjects linked to the neoclassical taste and to the Grand Tour culture.

Beneath the depiction lies the handwritten inscription “Sepolcro di Caio Cestio,” preceded by the initials “F.G.”, presumably referring to the Giustiniani Factory, and followed by the number “N. 13.”

Of particular value is the decoration of the lip, entirely painted by hand, featuring an elegant sequence of stylized motifs in black and dark red-brown tones, externally bounded by a black band with small white dotted elements. A balanced composition that strongly represents the neoclassical taste of the period.

A particularly significant bibliographic comparison: in the specialist literature dedicated to the Migliuolo-Giustiniani Manufacture, earthenware with monumental views inserted within similar rectangular reserves and with decorative settings closely comparable to the present specimen have been documented. The related bibliographic pages are shown in the photographs of the lot and constitute an important element of typological comparison.

The Giustiniani manufactory and the subsequent collaboration with Migliuolo were protagonists of Neapolitan production of neoclassical‑tasted earthenware, in which views, monuments, landscapes and subjects inspired by antiquity found particular space, perfectly integrated into the figurative culture of the Grand Tour.

Dimensions: about 21.5 × 17.8 × 2 cm.

The piece preserves a pleasant antique patina and shows slight kiln defects, characteristics compatible with the material, technique and period. There is also a very small glaze run roughly around the 11 o’clock area, visible in the photographs, which does not compromise the solidity of the earthenware or the aesthetic reading of the object. Additional normal signs of time and use are present.

A piece of particular charm, interesting for both the collector of Neapolitan ceramics and 19th‑century earthenware, and as a refined decorative object. The Roman subject and the neoclassical language also make it particularly suitable for collections dedicated to the Grand Tour, archaeology, and Italian vedutismo.

Photos are an integral part of the description. Packaging will be handled by Ankerior, specialized in packing and handling artworks, with training and certification from Palazzo Spinelli, Florence.