Arno Reflections

This small but intriguing bowl was hand-painted in subtle shades of blues, greens, and gold, evocative of the long tradition of blue and white ceramic production that arose in the Middle East and China in medieval times. Galileo Chini was a professor in the decorative arts and was certainly familiar with the various stylistic traditions shaping ceramic history, which remained an important source of inspiration in his oeuvre. The unusual shape of this vase and the swirling decorative pattern, however, add a truly contemporary, Italian Art Nouveau dimension to the piece.