Ceramic Bust-and-armor Vase From Caltagirone, Sicily, 20th Century

A sculptural ceramic vase from Caltagirone shaped like a torso-armor, featuring buckled straps, floral rosettes on the shoulders, and a central grotesque mask, with a base adorned with stylized acanthus leaves. Monochrome brown-red glaze with lustrous highlights. On the bottom, a handwritten mark reading “M.A.C. presso I.P.A.C. Caltagirone,” attesting to its Sicilian origin and attributable to the Professional Institute for Crafts and Ceramics in Caltagirone, a historic center of ceramic production on the island.