Vintage Italian Ceramic Lion by Bruno Gambone (circa 1970s)

Vintage Italian ceramic lion by Bruno Gambone (circa 1970s). A lion seated on his hind quarter with full mane, his tongue eagerly protruding as if awaiting a meal to be served by the viewer. Or maybe the viewer is the meal? A heart shape is painted on the bone-white chest of the lion and associates with the endearing expression on his face. What a wonderful and heartwarming piece. Signed by the artist on the base: "Gambone Italy". In very good overall condition - please enjoy the many photos accompanying this listing. Upon request a video will be provided. For information, this gallery holds two large Gambone lion ceramics - the other is identical but for the dark brown mane (see the photos). 

About the Artist: Bruno Gambone (1936-2021) followed in the footsteps of his father. The Gambone ceramics have had two very distinct phases of artistic expression in their history. That of the father, Guido Gambone (1909-1969), arguably Italy's most prominent contemporary ceramicist of the 1950s and '60s, and that of the son, Bruno Gambone. The father's work was more exuberant and colourful. Bruno, who returned to Florence in 1969 to keep the ceramic studio running after his father died, became intent on expressing his own very different artistic vision. For the most part, his work was influenced by '60s and '70s minimalist art. The forms are more rectilinear, the decoration very simple and the tones muted. During a stint in New York, Bruno spent time with the likes of Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, and gained much experience in the fields of painting, sculpture, cinema and theatre. Subsequently, his ceramic pieces have become internationally collectible works of art and in particular, since his death in 2021, his pieces have seen exuberant demand at auction and in private sales.

Dimensions:

H 30 cm / 11.8"

W 18 cm / 7.1"

D 22 cm / 8.7"