HELEN KÖNIG SCAVINI (1886-1974) & MARIO STURANI (1906-1978)

Artist's Resale Right ("Droit de Suite"). Artist's… Read more

"In these days of acceleration we find the genius called "Lenci" after having made a name for itself in designing and fashioning, among other things, those amusing felt dolls which are to be seen in nearly every toy-shop in the world, turning its attention to ceramics figures..... Entirely different in material and character, they possess the qualities of decoration in form and colour and a certain lightness in humour which give them the flavour of "Lenci" creations." 'The Studio', Vol. 98 - no. 439 October 1929. The following group of seven lots include some of the most celebrated and accomplished examples of Italian ceramic production of the 1920s. The brand Ars Lenci was founded in Turin, 1919, by Ernesto and Helen König Scavini, who blended an eye for commerce with a sensibility for decorative art. Lenci’s artisan workshop enlisted talented local artists to produce a variety of elegantly decorative products that found immediate appeal both in Italy and abroad. The stylish figures for which the firm became celebrated were unveiled at the International exhibition, Turin, 1928, and by the following year their appreciation had been sealed by exposure at Callows Gallery, London and in Milan at Galleria Pesaro. Furthermore, the firm’s production was favourably reviewed by influential magazines, including Casabella and Domus. During this period, Lenci ceramics were popular not only amongst the critics, but were also a tremendous commercial success, echoing the optimistic spirit of the society of that time. The figures designed by Helen König Scavini record a contemporaneous interpretation of femininity that was both effortless and carefree. La Modista- Il cappellino (lot 150), Me ne infischio (lot 149) and Colpo di Vento (lot 152) take as their cue the fashion styles published in Vogue magazine. Lenci attracted further critical acclaim through their decision to appoint artists and sculptors, such as Mario Sturani (Lot 153) and Sandro Vecchietti (lot 154), to create works that offered sensuality tinted with surrealism. This collection, passionately assembled over many years by Giuliana, bears witness to her inimitable ability to identify the spirit of innovation that defined Italian ceramics design in the 1930s.

HELEN KÖNIG SCAVINI (1886-1974) & MARIO STURANI (1906-1978)

A 'NUDO SUL MONDO' FIGURE, CIRCA 1930

Details

HELEN KÖNIG SCAVINI (1886-1974) & MARIO STURANI (1906-1978)
A 'NUDO SUL MONDO' FIGURE, CIRCA 1930
executed by Lenci, polychrome earthenware
19 in. (48 cm.) high
signed Lenci Torino made in Italy and 5.XIII.M

Provenance

Christie's South Kensington, Art Deco, 13 October 2004, lot 441.

Literature

Similar example illustrated:
Lenci, Archivi di Arti Decorative, Torino, 1992, p. 204, fig. 607.

Special notice

Artist's Resale Right ("Droit de Suite"). Artist's Resale Right Regulations 2006 apply to this lot, the buyer agrees to pay us an amount equal to the resale royalty provided for in those Regulations, and we undertake to the buyer to pay such amount to the artist's collection agent.

Brought to you by

Jeremy Morrison

jmorrison@christies.com +44 (0)20 7752 3274

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