1950s ARS Artigiana Deruta Italian Animal Motif Handled Pottery Bowl

A wonderfully characterful mid-century Italian art pottery bowl by ARS Artigiana of Deruta, decorated with an expressive collection of naïve animal and botanical motifs.

The shallow freeform bowl features a warm taupe ground densely worked with raised white slip decoration, creating an almost lace-like textured surface. Hand-painted amongst the pattern are a wonderfully stylised giraffe, bird or cockerel, snail, flowers and foliage, picked out in muted red, yellow, blue, green and orange.

A turquoise glaze defines the softly scalloped edge and two large sculptural loop handles, giving the piece a particularly distinctive silhouette. The reverse is finished in a mottled turquoise glaze and bears the hand-painted maker's mark “ARS Artigiana, Deruta, Italy”, together with the number 1395, believed to be a pattern or form reference.

Made in Deruta, Umbria — one of Italy's historic centres of ceramic production — the piece combines traditional Italian pottery techniques with the playful, graphic aesthetic associated with post-war decorative ceramics.

An unusual and highly decorative piece of Italian mid-century pottery that works equally well displayed as an object in its own right or used as a shallow bowl.

Very Good Original Condition

The hand-painted decoration remains vibrant and the piece displays very well.

Please study all photographs carefully as they form an important part of the condition report.

- Original mid-century Italian art pottery
- Made by ARS Artigiana, Deruta
- Hand-painted maker's mark to the underside
- Model / pattern number 1395
- Freeform shallow bowl
- Two sculptural loop handles
- Turquoise glazed scalloped rim
- Dense raised white slip decoration
- Hand-painted giraffe, bird/cockerel, snail, flowers and foliage
- Mottled turquoise glazed underside
- Hand-decorated throughout
- Unusual and highly individual decorative piece

Display on a warm oak console, sideboard or coffee table where the sculptural handles and intricate surface decoration can be fully appreciated. Its turquoise, earthy neutral and muted jewel tones work particularly well alongside natural stone, vintage books, aged timber and handmade ceramics.

It would also make an engaging centrepiece on a dining table or kitchen island, either left empty as a decorative object or used to hold small dry items.