L'Ancora - Platter - Palette bowl with poppies and daisies in sgraffito • marked 'FLORIDA 138' • 1955–1968 - Earthenware

Palette dish from L'Ancora with blood-red poppies and a white daisy, in sgraffito on matte black. (Ceramic company H.H. van den Kroonenberg, Blerick)

Every contour is hand-engraved through the black engobe; inside it gleams blood red, white, and moss green. On the bottom are the decor name and form number, and the original label is still affixed. On a sideboard or occasional table it provides a clean mid-century accent.

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Description:

The dish is shaped like a painter's palette, with a thumb hole and a wavy notch. The bouquet grows upward from the bottom edge. Two poppies are shown in side view, with visible anthers. Above hangs a hairy poppy bud, the hallmark of the poppy. Next, a daisy with a gold-yellow center and a small cream-yellow five-petaled flower. Lanceolate leaves in moss green provide rhythm. Beneath is a recessed foot, hand-inscribed in white.

About the maker:

L'Ancora (Ceramic company H.H. van den Kroonenberg, Blerick) was founded on March 14, 1955. The work also left under the name Kroon de deur. The company worked on a white-firing body with a sprayed, matte black engobe, through which the decoration was scratched. It is best known for the relief heads. In October 1968 the company was closed. This palette dish shows the same technique in a floral decoration.

In the interior:

Fits a mid-century, retro, or eclectic interior, on a sideboard, mantle, or bookshelf. The matte black makes the blood red and white stand out clearly in daylight.

Condition:

Good. No cracks, flakes, or hairline cracks observed. Front: a few small light specks in the matte engobe to the left of the thumb hole. Bottom and foot ring: light signs of use and spots. The original label is present. See the pictures. Offered as a decorative object, not intended for use with food.

In one glance:

Material: earthenware, matte black engobe with sgraffito and glazes

Dimensions and weight: 16 x 14 x 2 cm, 150 grams

Brand: l'Ancora FLORIDA 138, painted in white on the bottom; label L'ANCORA with crown

Dating: 1955–1968

Provenance: from the collection of Decaders Gallery

Attribution and sources:

Marked l'Ancora; the maker is certain. Brand and label belong to the company of Van den Kroonenberg in Blerick. The Italian-sounding name is a trade name, not Italian origin. Florida is the decor name, 138 the form number. Source: Capriolus Contemporary Ceramics knowledge base, entry Ancora - L'Ancora, with the monograph by Sieni Luiken-Pluis (2015).

Shipping:

Professionally packed in a sturdy box with cushioning material, for fragile objects a double box. Always insured, shipped with Track and Trace. See the feedback from previous buyers.

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