PAIR OF ROUND DISHES AND A SMALL OVAL TRAY

The three dishes have a traditional shape without a support ring, with a short, barely sloping brim and a mixtilinear profile. The rim is wavy, ribbed, and striped with two thin parallel lines of iron-red orange color with an additional thin wavy blue line on the tray.
The decoration is made using a high fire technique and is polychrome with a thick, creamy-white glaze with a few pinpoints.
The decoration of groups of little flowers starts from two broad tufts of lanceolate leaves and spreads in symmetrical fronds reaching the brim and extending to the middle of the well. In the center of the oval plate there is a small asterisk.

A close comparison comes to us from an oval tray which bears, on the verso, the initials AMC. It is now preserved in the collections of the Museo d’Arti Applicate at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan (R. Ausenda, ed., Musei e Gallerie di Milano. Musei e Gallerie di Milano. Museo d’Arti Applicate. Le ceramiche. Tomo secondo, Milan 2000, p. 190, no. 230). The presence of the mark in the comparison specimen confirms the attribution of these elegant creations to high fired “ferrosi” (with iron color) foils that characterize a specific production of works on forms typical of the Lodi production in the first half of the 18th century. Other comparison specimens are published in monographic repertories. These include an unusual coffee pot with a Middle Eastern oriental form which was exhibited at the Poldi Pezzoli Museum in the celebrated 1964 exhibition. Also recognizable from the same exhibition are a tureen and a sugar bowl, all consistent in decorative choice (G. Gregorietti Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Maioliche di Lodi, Milano e Pavia (catal.), Milan 1964, no. 46). More unusual in morphology and ornamentation are a coffee pot and a jug in which the decoration is associated with the depiction of a “castelletto,” a theme which was often used in Lombard ceramic production in general (Felice Ferrari, La ceramica di Lodi, Lodi 2003, pp. 118, 119; nn. 33-34, and M. L. Gelmini, Maioliche lodigiane del ‘700, Milan 1995, pp. 102-103; nn. 83-87).
The three dishes are certainly works of the Lodi manufacture by Antonio Maria Coppellotti, as they adhere to all of its compositional standards.
The painting expertise of the decorators from Lodi, especially in color control, set a standard: the red, sourced from now-depleted Eastern quarries and known as “bolo armeno”, was carefully managed during firing. This was achieved by applying a thin brushstroke of enamel over the sections affected by the chromatic range. This technique helped contain the “boiling” of the color during firing, resulting in remarkable outcomes where the relief and red-orange color characterize the production.

The earliest records of the Coppellotti family as a family of potters come from archival documents which, between 1639 and 1641, testify to the official application, by a certain Giovanni Coppellotti, to the relevant authorities for permission to open a maiolica factory in Lodi.
The factory, located near the church of San Filippo seems to have been immediately quite successful. However, it was only in 1679, when the management of the factory passed to Antonio Giovanni Maria Coppellotti – the son or perhaps grandson of the original Giovanni – that the production reached the peak of success and became an example for the main Italian manufactures of the time, especially those in Veneto and Liguria.
The activity continued under the direction of Anton Maria Junior until about 1750, to resume, after a brief interruption, with Bassano Coppellotti in collaboration with a number of other directors, including G. Moroni, Giulio Berinzaghi and, from 1771, the Pedrinazzi. Finally, in 1787, a new municipal ordinance ordered the definitive closure of the factory due to financial difficulties.

The maiolica produced during the initial period are characterized by the use of a thick, velvety enamel and have ornaments ranging from monochrome turquoise with Italian (ruins, castles, flowers) and French motifs (“rabeschi”, ramage), to decorations in the manner of Chinese porcelain and oriental inspiration.
Of particular importance are ornaments of Baroque fruit which show the amazing relief effects produced by using the red tone called “Armenian bolus”. This great variety of decorations appeared between 1735 and 1740 by which time, alongside the production of turquoise monochrome, polychromy with high fire technique was firmly established. The brand precisely identifying the maiolica of this factory is rare and uses a woven “AMC” monogram. It was sometimes done in different colors and was sometimes accompanied by the names of the painters and modelers of the manufacture.

Bibliography:

• C. Baroni, La maiolica antica di Lodi, in “Archivio storico lombardo” LVIII, 1930, pp. 448 s., 455-457;
• A. Minghetti, I ceramisti italiani, Roma 1946, p. 129;
• Maioliche settecentesche lombarde e venete, Milano 1962, pp. 15-17, tavv. 121-150;
• G. Gregorietti Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Maioliche di Lodi, Milano e Pavia (catal.), Milano 1964, pp. 15 s., con ill.;
• A. Novasconi – S. Ferrari – S. Corvi, La ceramica lodigiana, Milano 1964, pp. 23, 27, 34-36, 47, ill. pp. 53-121;
• O. G. C. Sciolla, Museo civico di Lodi, Bologna 1977, pp. VIII s.; tavv. pp. 72-76, 78;
• M. L. Gelmini, Maioliche lodigiane del ‘700, Milano 1995, pp. 102-103; nn. 83-87
• R. Ausenda, a cura di, Musei e Gallerie di Milano. Museo d’Arti Applicate. Le ceramiche. Tomo secondo, Milano 2000, p. 190, n. 230;
• Felice Ferrari, La ceramica di Lodi, Lodi 2003, pp. 118-127