Italian and Portuguese Ceramic Butterfly Wall Plaques, 1970s, Set of 8

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Moulded in crisp relief with gently curved wings, this decorative collection brings together eight glazed earthenware butterfly wall ornaments. The … Read more Moulded in crisp relief with gently curved wings, this decorative collection brings together eight glazed earthenware butterfly wall ornaments. The assembled flight features a substantial central Italian butterfly accompanied by seven graduated Portuguese plaques, each individually painted and detailed with black contour linework. The dominant Italian plaque measures approximately 28 cm across the wingspan. Finished in a glossy lead glaze over a pale celadon-tinted ground, it is patterned with bright orange bands, bold black veining, concentric eye spots and a raised scarlet rosette accent beside the head. The underside bears an impressed 'Made in Italy' mark alongside pierced mounting lugs. The accompanying seven Portuguese butterflies, produced by Ánfora and signed Juliarye, scale downwards from around 22 cm to approximately 9 cm in width. These pieces showcase a bright Mediterranean palette including lemon yellow, coral red, soft rose pink, chartreuse and cobalt blue. Each features segmented bodies and pierced heads fitted with fine twisted wire loops that double as antennae and wall hanging attachments. The cream-glazed backs display impressed 'Ánfora Portugal' factory marks and hand-painted model numerals, including '156' and '157'. Likely dating from the late twentieth century, these plaques reflect the enduring European tradition of majolica-inspired decorative wall ceramics. Their varying scales and wing contours allow for a flexible wall arrangement, positioned either as a dense swirling cluster or distributed along a hallway. All eight butterflies survive in very good vintage order, retaining glossy glaze surfaces and sound original suspension wires. See less