Italian Faience Hunting Gourde – Antique Decorative Arts Lithograph, 1869

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Antique Lithograph of Italian Faience Hunting Gourde, Delange, 1869

Magnificent large-format lithograph depicting a richly decorated Italian faience 'gourde de chasse' (hunting flask) in grotesque style. The vessel is adorned with intricate arabesques, mythological figures, heraldic animals, and swirling ornamentation, with two bold spiral volutes in blue and gold dominating the lower body. At its center is a finely rendered roundel portrait of a classical figure, framed by elaborate grotesque patterns. The flask features dramatic leonine handles, combining sculptural relief with painted decoration.

This example belonged to the noted Parisian collector Mr. de Basilewski and is here recorded in Henri Delange’s 'Recueil de Faïences Italiennes des XVe, XVIe et XVIIe Siècles' (Paris, 1869). The work is one of the most sumptuous catalogues of Renaissance and Baroque Italian tin-glazed pottery, preserving the finest specimens held in 19th-century private collections. The grotesque style, inspired by the rediscovery of ancient Roman wall decorations in the Domus Aurea, became a hallmark of Italian Renaissance maiolica and spread widely across Europe.

Condition: Very good, with light age-related toning and faint scattered foxing in the margins. Strong impression with vivid original color lithography. Plate mark present. Please examine image carefully.

Framing tips: This decorative print will be beautifully enhanced by a wide ivory or pale cream mount, which will balance the richness of the color palette. A gilt frame will echo the gold highlights, while a dark wood frame will lend gravity and contrast. Double matting with a thin blue or green inner border can draw out the spiraling ornament.

Technique: Color lithograph
Maker: Henri Delange, Paris, 1869