Set of Twelve Hand-Painted Ceramic Cups by Osvaldo Dolci for Gualdo Tadino, 1940s

Set of 12 hand-painted Gualdo Tadino ceramic tea cups, made by Osvaldo Dolci in the 1940s

Ø 20 cm, height 22 cm

Osvaldo Dolci was the founder and driving force behind a ceramic manufactory that was highly active between the 1930s and the 1960s (I.C.A.D.O. – Industrie Ceramiche Artistiche Dolci Osvaldo), which became a reference point for collectors of mid-20th-century maiolica.

Osvaldo Dolci’s defining hallmark is his use of metallic lusters, a complex and ancient ceramic technique of Middle Eastern origin, historically rooted in the Gualdo Tadino tradition (thanks to historic masters such as Mastro Giorgio).
The technique requires a third firing at a low temperature in a reducing atmosphere (that is, oxygen-free, achieved by burning wood or broom in the kiln).
The metallic salts applied to the ceramic transform into an extremely thin film, giving the pieces iridescent metallic reflections, shifting toward pure gold and ruby red. Vases, amphorae, and parade plates almost always have a base glazed in glossy or matte black. The outlines and main details are always accentuated with brushstrokes of pure gold and iridescent reflections that “emerge” from the darkness of the black background.