Minghetti Bologna - Minghetti. Bologna - Centrepiece - Earthenware

Manifattura Minghetti Bologna – Large centerpiece in polychrome maiolica with dragons – 20th century

A large and important oval centerpiece in polychrome maiolica from the Manifattura Minghetti of Bologna, one of the most renowned Italian manufactories of artistic ceramics between the 18th and 20th centuries.

The piece measures about 50 × 32 × 16 cm and features a richly polychrome decoration in a historicist taste, inspired by the tradition of Italian Renaissance maiolica.

The broad rim is entirely decorated with a complex figurative scene set in a landscape, with characters and animals. The wide lip is adorned with elaborate grotesque motifs and multicolored vegetal scrolls, also echoed on the exterior surface.

Particularly characteristic are the two large dragon figures, fully modeled, placed at the ends of the centerpiece and used simultaneously as handles and supports. The body also rests on shaped feet painted in polychromy.

On the base is the painted mark:
“Bologna – Made in Italy”, with the factory’s symbol/monogram.

The decorative typology and the fantastical sculptural elements are characteristic of Minghetti production. In the absence of elements that allow a more precise dating, the piece is prudently attributed to the 20th century, probably to mid-20th‑century production.

Conditions: overall very good for its age. There are two localized restorations carried out using original fragments: one affecting a portion of a foot and the other a small decorative element adjacent to it. No parts are missing; the restorations are fine, hardly noticeable, identifiable mainly upon close inspection. Normal minimal traces of time and use compatible with age.

A large decorative and collectible object from the Bologna ceramic production of the 20th century, particularly striking for its size and for the two dragon figures.