'Sicilian Market Day' Vintage Ceramic Platter by Giovanni DeSimone (1985)

'Sicilian Market Day', vintage Italian ceramic platter by Giovanni DeSimone (1985). A large, exuberant ceramic piece crowded with the life of a Sicilian market day. A traditional painted cart drawn by a donkey brings in a load of oranges. Fishmongers lay out their catch, a woman balances a tray of fish on her head, and a butcher prepares his meat beside the pigs hanging behind his stall. A gelato seller stands with his cart, children are with their mothers, a decorated horse is led through the crowd, and figures work in the trees. All of it is set between striped awnings, red-tiled roofs and leafy trees. De Simone’s figures, with their wide eyes, rosy cheeks, profile noses and bold black outlines, show the influence of Picasso, whose ceramics he greatly admired. They’re painted in his very lively, sunny palette. The glossy glaze has developed a fine, even crazing that adds character to its handmade, sun-baked character. The piece is in overall good condition. There is fine crazing to the glaze, consistent with age and typical of the maker. The partial paper label on the underside reads “De Simone, Maioliche... Made in Italy,” with the workshop’s red logo. Near the foot ring, small painted initials, “JA", likely belong to the workshop decorator who painted the platter. De Simone’s studio employed painters working to his designs, and their initials sometimes appear on the back. Please enjoy the many photos accompanying this listing. Upon request a video will be provided.

Dimensions:

H 5.3 cm / 2.1"

Dia 44.5 cm / 17.5"

About the Artist: Giovanni DeSimone (1930-1991) was born in Palermo, Sicily to Italian aristocrats. As a young child he traveled to Somalia, and his experiences there clearly stayed with him and inspired his life’s work, which demonstrated an appreciation for and a belief in the value of what is simple and unsophisticated as well as an appreciation for the cubist movement that was popularised by Picasso, Braque and Gris in the early 20th-Century. DeSimone relocated to Emilia-Romagna following WWII where he enrolled in the famed Istituto d’Arte per la Ceramica in Florence. It was there he found his life’s calling.  Pottery became his passion. After completing his studies, he and his family returned to Sicily. Nostalgic for his native land now seen through adult eyes, Giovanni finally felt at home. The DeSimone ceramics studio began in the 1960s and produced both dinnerware and serving pieces as well as decorative tiles and larger panels. Giovanni would typically sign his work “DeSimone” in a location that would be visible without having to turn the piece over. He also had artisans that worked for him in the studio. DeSimone passed away in 1991, but his legacy continues though his daughters Susanna and Margherita, who operate La Fabbrica della Ceramica, still located in Palermo, Sicily. Their work is very much inspired by the creations of their father, and, like his work, each are individually handmade and hand painted. His brightly-coloured pottery is recognised and sought after by collectors, but the accessibility of his work draws in new devotees every day.