Lot Essay
The Ercolanese service was commissioned in 1781 by Ferdinand IV, King of Naples and the Two Sicilies as a gift to his father Charles III, King of Spain.
This was the first service produced by the Naples factory under the Directorship of Domenico Venuti who was appointed to the factory in 1779. Venuti, the son of an archaeologist and formerly the General Superintendant of Antiquities for the city of Naples, played an instrumental role in the factory's production of pieces in the latest neoclassical style with a distinctive 'antique' flavour inspired by the excavations of Herculaneum in 1738 and Pompeii in 1740.
The service comprised eighty-eight pieces and the present tureen is recorded on the list as Zuppiera n. 1 Figura rappresentante una Leda, see Angela Caròla-Perrotti, op. cit. (1986), p. 329.
The relief moulded borders on the covers are probably derived from 1st Century 'situla' bronze vessels excavated at Herculaneum. The painted decoration was executed by Giacomo Milani, the director of the 'Galleria dei pittori' and by Antonio Cioffi, formerly a miniature painter at the Capodimonte factory. The tureen and cover was inspired directly by Le Antichità di Ercolano esposte, published from 1757 to 1798 in five volumes documenting the artefacts and wall paintings excavated at Herculaneum; these volumes were only made available to those with special privileges.
Milani and Cioffi accompanied the service when it was despatched to Spain to be presented to Charles III and Venuti sent an elaborately bound album containing illustrations of the sources for the inspiration of its designs. Unfortunately the King did not receive the service or the album with any enthusiasm or interest since it reminded him too much of his former reign over the Two Sicilies and the excavations, which he had initiated, which lead to the development of the neolassical style.
For a full discussion of the service see Angela Caròla-Perrotti, ibid. (1986), pp. 330-345 and col. pl. LXI and Angela Caròla-Perrotti, La Porcellana della Real Fabbrica Ferdinandea, pls. L and LI, figs. 56 and 57. The companion soup-tureen from this service was sold in these Rooms on 13 March 1989, lot 44 and a pair of wine-glass coolers were sold by Sotheby's New York on 26 September 1989, lot 256.
This was the first service produced by the Naples factory under the Directorship of Domenico Venuti who was appointed to the factory in 1779. Venuti, the son of an archaeologist and formerly the General Superintendant of Antiquities for the city of Naples, played an instrumental role in the factory's production of pieces in the latest neoclassical style with a distinctive 'antique' flavour inspired by the excavations of Herculaneum in 1738 and Pompeii in 1740.
The service comprised eighty-eight pieces and the present tureen is recorded on the list as Zuppiera n. 1 Figura rappresentante una Leda, see Angela Caròla-Perrotti, op. cit. (1986), p. 329.
The relief moulded borders on the covers are probably derived from 1st Century 'situla' bronze vessels excavated at Herculaneum. The painted decoration was executed by Giacomo Milani, the director of the 'Galleria dei pittori' and by Antonio Cioffi, formerly a miniature painter at the Capodimonte factory. The tureen and cover was inspired directly by Le Antichità di Ercolano esposte, published from 1757 to 1798 in five volumes documenting the artefacts and wall paintings excavated at Herculaneum; these volumes were only made available to those with special privileges.
Milani and Cioffi accompanied the service when it was despatched to Spain to be presented to Charles III and Venuti sent an elaborately bound album containing illustrations of the sources for the inspiration of its designs. Unfortunately the King did not receive the service or the album with any enthusiasm or interest since it reminded him too much of his former reign over the Two Sicilies and the excavations, which he had initiated, which lead to the development of the neolassical style.
For a full discussion of the service see Angela Caròla-Perrotti, ibid. (1986), pp. 330-345 and col. pl. LXI and Angela Caròla-Perrotti, La Porcellana della Real Fabbrica Ferdinandea, pls. L and LI, figs. 56 and 57. The companion soup-tureen from this service was sold in these Rooms on 13 March 1989, lot 44 and a pair of wine-glass coolers were sold by Sotheby's New York on 26 September 1989, lot 256.