Set of Ceramic Fruit

The art of modelling fruit in clay to deceive the eye has a long history in European decorative arts, from the fruit-shaped tureens produced by eighteenth-century porcelain and faience manufactories to the majolica of southern Italy. This collection continues the tradition on a smaller scale. Each piece rests on its own glazed leaf, giving it a stable footing on a table or shelf. The lemons bear a sprig of leaves at the stem and a crazed yellow glaze; one pomegranate is cut in half to reveal its arils, while the other is split along one side, its crown intact. The magnolias open in petals brushed with rose. Grouped with the Capri, Alba or Magnolia sconces, the pieces carry the same motifs from wall to table. Scattered along a dining table, arranged on a mantelpiece or gathered on a bookshelf, they form a still life that can be rearranged at will.