Antico Savona

Antico Savona (Old Savona) wares were produced throughout the Italian coastal region of Liguria during the 17^th century, but as the name implies, the style originated in the town of Savona and achieved its greatest expression there, and in nearby Albisola.

Characterized by finely molded pottery forms and the spontaneous, painterly treatment of a blue-and-white palette, Antico Savona maiolica evolved out of a variety of influences including Chinese export porcelain, compendiario wares from Faenza, and contemporary Genoese silverware.

17^th-century Italian maiolica was dominated by eclecticism, comprising elements from widely different sources. In some areas this trend led to strongly idiosyncratic styles of middling quality, but in Savona the interpretation and execution were of the highest caliber.

The Antico Savona style comprises sub-types of Oriental derivation, such as the ‘tapestry’ (a tappezzeria) style, and contemporary inspiration, like the ‘Baroque scene’ (scenografia barocca) wares based on works by Ligurian painters of the period. The combination of foreign and local trends, ancient and contemporary traditions, are evident both in the potting and the painting of Antico Savona wares.

Craftsmen distinguished for the quality of their molding eagerly explored the possibilities offered by Baroque forms, applying bean-motif patterns and relief festoons in the manner of beaten metal to their ceramic creations.

The painting of this maiolica was equally original and perfectly complimented the freer shapes characteristic of the Baroque. The swift yet confident handling ably treads the narrow path between the freedom of a spontaneous creative urge and the discipline of a formal aesthetic.

Typical decorative schemes feature romantic, Classically-inspired figures framed by idealized landscapes composed of mossy knolls, Italianate villas, and distant, craggy peaks.

Utilitarian wares, such as the many pharmaceutical vessels produced for patrons throughout Liguria, also include inscriptions written in Roman letters. These neat legends are easily read from a distance, representing an improvement over the Gothic, and other esoteric scripts employed for such labels in prior centuries.

Often overlooked in surveys of Italian maiolica, Antico Savona wares represent one of the most elegant and original manifestations of European tin-glazed earthenware.