Italian Modernist Hand-Painted Portrait Ceramic - 1965

A striking Italian hand-painted ceramic charger dating to 1965, distinguished by its wonderfully expressive, Cubist-inspired portrait and vibrant mid-century palette.

The circular ceramic form is decorated with a highly stylized face rendered in sweeping strokes of turquoise, powder blue, ochre yellow and deep red against a softly speckled ivory ground. Oversized almond-shaped eyes, an elongated geometric nose and exaggerated scrolling cheeks give the composition an almost mask-like quality.

The design reflects the enduring influence of Cubism and the European avant-garde on postwar Italian decorative arts. By the 1950s and 1960s, Italian ceramicists were freely interpreting the visual language pioneered earlier in the century by artists such as Picasso—fragmenting and simplifying the human face while embracing bold outlines, asymmetry and deliberately spontaneous brushwork. Rather than functioning simply as tableware, ceramics of this period were increasingly conceived as expressive decorative objects in their own right.

This example is particularly appealing for its looseness of execution. Visible brushwork and subtle variations in the glaze retain the hand of the maker, while the strong graphic composition gives the piece an unexpectedly contemporary presence.

The reverse is hand-marked “Italy 65,” dating the piece to 1965. The maker is presently unidentified, and the piece is therefore best described as Italian rather than attributed to a particular workshop.

Equally compelling displayed on a wall, mounted on a stand, or incorporated into a collection of mid-century Italian ceramics.

Origin: Italy
Date: 1965
Material: Glazed ceramic
Style: Mid-Century Modern / Cubist-Inspired / Modernist
Dimensions: 9.75 in. diameter
Markings: Hand-marked “ Desimone Italy 65” to reverse
Condition: Very good vintage condition, with minor irregularities and variations inherent to its hand-painted and hand-glazed character.