Antique Galanteria figurine, made in Emilia. Dating to the second half of the 19th century.
The sculpture is signed, and the signature is highly prized!
It is, in fact, a work by Angelo Bonati, founder of the historic Bonati glassworks in Parma in the late 19th century.
Few people know, however, that before the factory was founded in 1897, Bonati's workshop was already active in Parma and specialized in the production of artistic ceramics, busts, sculptures, and artistic glass.
The figurine depicts a seated lady holding flowers. The subject is part of the Galanteria style, which was so popular in the 19th century, and the depiction is typical of the Romantic and Umbertine periods.
These figures were designed to decorate the living rooms of the flourishing bourgeoisie of the time.
The engraved, handwritten signature on the back is that of Angelo Bonati. It is not a mass-produced piece, but a unique piece by the artist who, in an era when the nascent industrial era was flourishing, sought to assert the quality and refinement of his works of high artistic craftsmanship against the seriality of mass production.
Angelo Bonati is a name that will remain inextricably linked to the history of 19th-century Italian craftsmanship, representing the typical Italian master of art capable of lending sculptural dignity even to small decorative and everyday objects, making them precious testimonies to the bourgeois taste of the time.
The galantria offered here is made of glazed ceramic, crafted and painted by hand.
The object is in excellent condition, with a well-executed restoration clearly visible in the photos.
Dimensions:
Height 17 cm
Width 17 cm
Depth 14 cm
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SILVER Seller in Mantova, Italy
