Italian Savona Faience Ewer, 17th Century, High Period, With Gonzaga Coat Of Arms

A Savona faience ewer bearing the Gonzaga family coat of arms, depicting an allegory of Motherhood. Motherhood is personified by a winged female figure resembling a genie, accompanied by two cupids bearing the family crest. The female figure rests her left hand on the head of one of the cupids while her right hand cradles her womb. This piece was most likely commissioned to celebrate the arrival of a descendant into the family. This ewer was part of the collection of Alphonse Maze-Sencier (1831-1892). An eminent scholar, he authored several works, including *Le Livre des Collectionneurs* (1885) and *Recherches sur la Céramique* (1870). He published this ewer in his research. 194, which, according to him, dates from the early years of Savonian pottery production, that is, the end of the 16th century. The relatively simple form of the ewer suggests production at the end of the Renaissance, perhaps the beginning of the 17th century. Stylistically, the depiction of the cupids "very much in the pulpit" suggests a late Mannerist style. This ewer is of exceptional quality in its execution and inventiveness. To decorate the handle, the artist chose to depict a sinuous tree extending up to the rim of the ewer. Condition: restoration to the edge of the foot, chip, very slight hairline crack at the beginning of the handle