101 - FOUR POLYCHROME MAIOLICA SERVING PLATES, ANTONIBON MANUFACTORY, NOVE DI BASSANO, SECOND HALF OF THE 18TH CENTURY (4)

FOUR POLYCHROME MAIOLICA SERVING PLATES, ANTONIBON MANUFACTORY, NOVE DI BASSANO, SECOND HALF OF THE 18TH CENTURY (4) with wavy rim and Baroque fruit decoration; slight wear and minor chips Height 2 cm, width 24 cm FOUR NOVE MAIOLICA DISHES, SECOND HALF OF THE 18TH CENTURY; SLIGHTLY WORN, FEW MINOR LOSSES (4) The “fruit” decoration (commonly referred to as “Baroque fruit”) remains one of the most well-known and representative motifs of the Antonibon workshop; it features arrangements of apples, pears, oranges, and assorted fruits, all set against a backdrop of rich rocaille volutes and, at times, featuring elements unrelated to the plant world. The decorative richness of this motif has been likened to a legacy of Caravaggio’s painting: what is certain is that the painting technique used by the Novi decorators is striking for the great three-dimensionality it achieves. This decorative style was examined in depth by Raffaella Ausenda on the occasion of the 1990 exhibition; her analysis remains relevant today. Readers are therefore referred to the catalog of that exhibition for the preceding bibliography (R. Ausenda in Various Authors, *La Ceramica degli Antonibon*, Exhibition Catalog, Milan, 1990, p. 81, entry 89, passim).