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Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Capodimonte Porcelain

Capodimonte Porcelain on Ebay
First let me show you some Beautiful pieces in this ornate, elaborate porcelain.
this one is from my friend Elaine -

Capodimonte Figurine of a Lady on a Swing

Capodimonte was the summer palace of the Spanish King of Naples (Charles III) and in 1745 he created the manufactory there of porcelains. Over the intervening centuries, the tradition of first quality porcelain continued and became a standard of high quality porcelain decorative figures that were handcrafted, hand painted.
Beginning in the late 1800's, more items were hand-crafted, handpainted, hand fired and were done in small family productions.

Since the beginning of the 20th century the area has produced multitudes of "floral" compositions, handcrafted, hand-fired and hand painted so that it has become the capital of the tourist souvenirs for Italy.  Now, I grew up in South Phila, which in the 1950's/60/s and even to today in an Italian American neighborhood in Phila.  Every one of my Italian friends and in-laws/outlaws and neighbors had  Capodimonte in their "dressed windows" (another tradition I'll explain to you in a later post.  Sometimes those windows, looked out at street level...literally even with the sidewalk, from a "finished" basement. Sometimes they were the main window of the  first floor of a rowhome, which could be anywhere from eyelevel to 3 ft over your head.  On any given street, in the 60's and 70's at least half that houses had elaborate porcelain figurines or floral arrangements, all Capodimonte, in the window!

Capodimonte and Buen Retiro: Porcelains Period of Charles III

But then there is this one too Goddess pulled by Putti

Use this search to find more - seriously I make zero off of showing you these...but it might change your buying pattern if you recognize these at the fleamarket or garage sale