Featured Manifattura di Signa Terracotta Vase

Howdy all! Hope everyone is having a lovely day.

Car boot season finally started yesterday but it rained so we also hit up the consignment shop. I loved this terracotta pot/vase for an indoor plant but it was 30e and as such rather above my paygrade for this sort of thing hilarious, but I took some photos to strengthen my research skills.




Turns out that rather nonsensical mark belongs to Manifattura di Signa, Florence, 1895--1952. In 1900 the factory exhibited a plastic terracotta at the Paris Expo, suitable for outdoor use. They specialized in Classical and Renaissance depictions. Based on the company history, vases and planters like this were produced from 1895 to 1937/WWII.

I'm hitting a bit of a wall when it comes to the value of this. Much larger planters are 600e+. I've found 3 with wildly different values, and all were at auction. I can find nothing on ebay but some small boxes etc. One was damaged and estimated at 50-60e (no sold price).

This has a glued back on handle, and only sold for 30e despite the higher estimate.
https://www.ivoire-france.com/fr/lot-2936-247340-139_manifattura_di_signa_vase_deux_anses

This is in good condition and bronzed rather than painted (or not as in above) Check that estimate! Not sure where they get the date though, unless we are to assume that our MdS not the only one to have graced Signa's community.
https://www.pandolfini.it/it/asta-0068/vaso-manifattura-di-signa-inizi-sec-xx-in-.asp

I'm wanting to do a little bit of resale if it does seem worth more than the price tag without too much risk, but with so few examples its hard to know. Is this mark well known/sought after? Google only tells me so much and I don't know how that information or estimate prices equates to actual interest.

More Pics:

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You do seem to have your head on straight when approaching items that interest you .
your pics are good , and your questions are even better , before you are satisfied enuf to pull the trigger on a piece.

I find that quite laudable , when on the hunt for antiques.

I'd say you have a bright future !!!

 

Rachel-Impressive research skills (early 20's or not). Is this one exactly the same size as the 500-700 Euro one listed,is it pristine ?
Yes,the finish is different,but w/ your skills do you feel it's correct to the period & maker-or some kind of plant store recast ?
I don't know how dear 30e is to you,but seems if you could double/triple yr money,it would add nicely to your 'pickin' bank.
PS-Resale:You going the Ebay route ? As you know buyers there are very fickle (cheaper than me !) & many of our experienced members approach it w/ extreme caution (if at all).

 

Thank you for your replies! You both are far too kind, Google was actually very forthcoming with results and a webpage had a blurb on the company. Nonetheless your comments are very encouraging and much appreciated, I do love antiques and I've learned so much from you all. I just want to know more haha!

Re: the pot itself:
I believe it was the same size yes.
The general condition was excellent yes, but things usually escape my notice on first look so I'd have to go back to look more closely for chips or damage.
The comparison between the bronze and this did give me pause, but I'm not sure if there is a real difference in quality or the bronze gives the terracotta a cleaner look.
The black itself made me unsure as well, as I've seen only raw color or bronze, but I just did a search and two examples come up, one I've linked here: https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/HistoricOrArtisticProperty/0900303537
I can't see the image there because my internet is playing up, but they certainly seem to think its legit. Interesting note on that page about the serial number meaning its earlier, not sure if this could be the case with mine as well?
Its certainly on brand with the manufacturer, of the same style and subject as their other items. Their price range is very wide, small boxes are listed for a few hundred while their large garden seats or murals are in the 2500+ range.

Exactly Bosko, if I'm confident I could do just that then I'm quite happy paying the price asked. I had originally wanted it for myself but for an unknown without any idea of making it back even evenually was too much. I've been spoiled with carboot prices for just about everything to the point where 10 is far too expensive for most things! But I'm coming to realize that even a steal is sometimes 'real money', not everything will be 2 euros! You have a point...a nice profit here would set me up nicely for more antique hunting...

Re: the sale, honestly I'm not sure how I would go about it, hadn't thought that far! My last resale was on facebook but it was a much smaller plaque and easily sent. I don't know if this would be auctionable? Otherwise I would probably steer clear of Ebay and go to Etsy or Facebook, those are the only ones I know of.

 

No....not too kind............. not by a mile !

 

In my dreams I go to 20p Carboots every night and find amazing stuff that I seem to have misplaced when I wake.Portland Oregon def aint' Portland,Dorset.
If I was you I'd get a skateboard and pick 7 days a week.

 

Or an electric scooter and a backpack. I'm one of the ones who has stopped selling on eBay due to their complete lack of seller protection among other things. You can take perfect photographs, write an exacting description, and still get shafted. Early and often. It's also not recommended for breakables, because the postal services take "fragile" to mean "play football with the box".

 

Just kind then

Haha if only I lived closer! I do have a dealer about 15 minutes away but the non pricey stuff is under tarps outside or in a glorified shed so things don't stay in the condition they're in for long. I did make one score there so its about time I had another snoop amongst all the dust!

Yes I've been reading everyone's horror stories, made me quite willing to say no thank you if I can! And we've received enough amazon deliveries to see first hand the atrocities commited to packaging.

This did make me giggle

 

It's not you, it's them. But description says this vase is a truncated cone shape & no mention of a Bacchic scene on the body, so very different looking from yours.

 

Oh yes! Sorry, I was referring to the black finish, rather than the plain terracotta or bronze which I've seen in their other pieces. The image came up on google but won't load on their page, apologies!

 

No apology needed. Since I collect cameos, I enjoy seeing your vase/urn.

 

Oh yes I suppose its an urn isnt it! I've loved lurking in your cameo posts, I've never been much interested in them but you've shown me their beauty!

 

That is one of the major reasons I started the thread, to broaden awareness of what a cameo can be. Always nice to hear it's working.

 

I'm back at the store and have it in hand right now. Apologies for the file but it's a zip so it could be the right size and I'm on limited data. There is a tiny paint chip on the rim and possibly also a couple on the body of one of the figures. It's on the paint itself and not the vase. My concern is the way the paint has been applied looks odd to me. Not sure if this is a sign it's not genuine or has been painted later in its life?

 

I've taken the chance since I like it anyway, I'll take more pics when it's home and clean!

 

Rachel-Keep us in the loop.I like the way you researched the urn-thorough !
Many times in the field,You've got to pull the trigger quick & all you've got is Google Lens. 'Lens' doesn't know it's butt frm a hot rock most of the time-it's a luxury when you can do a more complete vetting at home on a larger screen.

 

Here she is! Just gone over with a damp cloth, not sure what to use next to get in all the cracks.


So annoying this one is blurry grr



Now for the nail biting part...

4 paint chips, one on the rim and 3 on one of the characters. Tiny and definitely not on the urn itself, just the paint.



These are the odd bits in the finish. It looks poorly done to my eye, but I don't know if this is due to the surface of the urn itself. These are the only two areas that its really noticeable, the rest looks fine.
Here are some links to compare finishes:
https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/HistoricOrArtisticProperty/0900323612#lg=1&slide=0
https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/HistoricOrArtisticProperty/0900303537#lg=1&slide=0
Honestly to me its difficult to tell in the photos whether the above have the same thing going on, but perhaps you can spot any differences!



The inside black finish bothers me slightly as well, but for its outdoor purpose perhaps this is to be expected?



Its cleaned up so far very nicely, and photographs well.

The size, style, period, and mark all feel correct to me. The weight is good and its got a really nice quality feel to it (as far as I can tell haha). The only thing bothering me is that finish. It looks sloppy to me but I don't know if that means its a reproduction, or if someone was having an off day when it was made. Or if thats what garden urns look like and they didn't mind.

The links above mention a catalog but no such thing exists online that I can find, book only. Mine's number isn't far off one of the pieces', but I'm unsure if that means I can date it to the same period. If genuine, its most definitely pre-1937.

What would be your thoughts??​

 

I've continued looking online and the finish continues to baffle me just the same. I'm now leaning towards genuine but I think the only way to know would be to get it appraised/verified. However I cannot find any means to that end other than various auction websites which is a road unfamiliar to me and therefore I have no idea what I'm doing.

There are no FB groups/websites etc that specialize in their pieces.

I assume that if this were to be genuine the best place to sell would be at auction rather than locally. Is there an auction house that would know this particular manufacturer? Would my best bet be with an italian based house rather than somewhere else?

This is probably obvious but I did see this outdoor seat with a rough surface, which would account for the finish on my urn. Most of the pieces I've seen are very smooth so its encouraging to see less of a finish on a verified and valuable piece of theirs.
https://www.recuperando.com/en/terr...ginal-terracotta-seat-manifatturadisigna.html
I also looked back at the black finished pieces linked above and do see similar 'flaws'.

I did find some more information about the maker, which is very nice

'The company had showrooms in all the best tourist locations of Florence, Rome and Turin and catered for wealthy travelers doing the Grand Tour. This stuff was expensive in its day and highly thought of. The fabrication is a combination of molding and sculpting by hand, so a considerable amount of work went into their making.'

 

http://www.archivioceramica.com/QUOTAZIONI/m/Manifattura Signa.htm

Here's another I found online.It's a possibility that someone in the 50's thru 80's may have 'enhanced' the original finish & glamorized it with gold highlights ?

https://www.pandolfini.it/it/asta-0068/vaso-manifattura-di-signa-inizi-sec-xx-in-.asp

 

I can't imagine using this outdoors except perhaps on a covered patio/porch; it doesn't seem meant to survive weather. Since the vibe they are going for is neoclassical ( or something I read concerning another florentine, rococo revival) the finish may have been deliberately distressed, to suggest great age.