20th Century, Archaic Ceramic Tile Plaque with Wooden Support, Viterbo Tuscia Italy., 1920s, Ceramic

Details

Description

MEASUREMENTS:
Height: 41.5 cm; Width: 23 cm; Depth: 5.5 cm; Weight: 3.2 kg

Item :
A large decorative tile made … Read more MEASUREMENTS:
Height: 41.5 cm; Width: 23 cm; Depth: 5.5 cm; Weight: 3.2 kg

Item :
A large decorative tile made of extremely thick vitrified ceramic, entirely hand-decorated, mounted on a rough wooden support, dating to the mid-20th century. The unsigned piece features a hand-painted polychrome underglaze decoration with a strong archaic feel, depicting a young musician walking, shown in profile while playing a horn or trumpet. The figure wears a tunic featuring geometric bands in shades of yellow and blue-gray, set in a simple landscape punctuated by shrubs and stylized reeds. The subject depicted is likely a 20th-century reinterpretation of the famous musician from the Tomb of the Leopards in Tarquinia, one of the most famous frescoes of the Etruscan civilization. from a conservation perspective, the plaque features a clear horizontal split in the center, dividing it in half. The two halves were subsequently rejoined and glued to the wooden support. This artificial break is an intentional technical device used to simulate an ancient ceramic fragment or a recovered portion of a fresco. The surface exhibits slight workshop imperfections to emphasize the rough, vintage look of the piece, which remains structurally stable thanks to the wooden base. This type of object was made almost exclusively by art workshops, ceramics studios, and artisan cooperatives located in the areas of Tarquinia, Civita Castellana, Viterbo, and Tuscania (a geographical area known as "Tuscia"), driven by the boom in tourism linked to the Etruscan necropolises. See less