1960s Italian Pottery Compote by Fratelli

An outstanding piece of mid century Italian pottery, this pedestal bowl...or compote...was made by Fratelli (Brothers) Fanciullacci in Montelupo, Italy in the 1960's. The company made an incredible array of styles, using a variety of different types of clay, in the latest artistic trends. The family closed the company permanently in 1988.

This piece is decorated in vibrant orange with floral and geometric designs in teal green, a striking combination. The high gloss clear top glaze makes the colors glow (and reflects our lighting). The clay body is tan, shown in a narrow rim on the bottom. The base and the interior of the stem are glazed in white and the base is hand signed "Italy" and "7/14." While this pottery firm often marked their wares "FF" or used a paper label, they just as often did not. In the past, we've had a marked (FF) Fratelli Fanciullacci vase with this color combination and similar decoration.

The pedestal bowl stands 6 1/2 inches tall and the bowl measures about 9 3/4 across (it's not perfectly round, but very close). The base is 5 1/2 inches in diameter and the compote weighs 2 pounds 10 ounces. There are a few condition issues: an extra lump of clay on the rim; a chip out of the base rim (the other small dark mark on that rim is a spot of glaze); and some glaze pitting around the base of the stem. These are mentioned for the sake of accuracy; there are no cracks or visible chips and the piece displays beautifully.

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