Magnificent big majolica jug with wide banded handle, entirely handmade on the lathe, majolica enamelled with full-bodied and compact enamels, rich in feldspars, which allowed the rich vitrification in the second firing, entirely hand-decorated with a white checkered heraldic shield and blue, with three Florentine lilies in the upper panels, and a last larger stylized lily above the upper edge of the shield. Wreaths of foliage in blue with a white background all over the jug, and two bands of leaves on the mouth and on the base inside two yellow transverse stripes. Unsigned object attributable to the Florentine manufacture of Montelupo and dated to the second half of the 18th century, considering the shape, the type of majolica used, the excellent patina and the rich vitrification. The presence of the Florentine lily in the decoration is classic for Florentine production, confirming our attribution of the jug to the Montelupo Fiorentino factory. Please note that the jug is very large, made of a very thick ceramic biscuit, very heavy, with a sturdy handle, and high-quality decoration. It is an antique and very rare object, perfect for art lovers and collectors.

We have included, in the photos immediately below this description, some similar shapes to our jug, taken from our book on Montelupo ceramics, specifically number 118, a jug similar in size as well. We have also included photos of two other jugs, older than ours, but still very similar in shape, decoration, and size. Finally, to give an idea of ​​the value of the item, through our online searches, we found three jugs, similar in shape, attributed to the Montelupo factory and listed at very high prices. Specifically, a jug was listed for €700-1,000 by Pandolfini, Florence, Italy, in the limited-time online auction "MONTELUPO: RENAISSANCE MAIOLICA" from April 11-19, 2023, lot number 1, titled "JUG, MONTELUPO, 1430-1450." Then, a jug was listed for €5,000-6,000 by Cambi, Genoa, Italy, in the auction "Important Italian Majolica from the Renaissance to the Baroque," held in Milan on October 25, 2016, lot number 3, titled "Tuscan Jug (Florentine Area), First Half of the 15th Century." Finally, another jug ​​was listed at €15,000-20,000 by Pandolfini Auction House at the "Important Renaissance Majolica" auction held at Borgo degli Albizi (Palazzo Ramirez-Montalvo) in Florence on October 1, 2015, lot 65, titled "FLORENTINE SCOPE TANK, MONTELUPO, 1430-1440 Maiolica." Consider that most of the pieces mentioned are decorated in a much simpler manner, with monochromatic decorations of a significantly lower quality, and are much smaller than ours, around 12-16 centimeters tall. Ours, however, exceeds 25 centimeters; in terms of volume, we're talking about jugs three times smaller. (By entering the item data we provide into Google, especially the title of the auction or sale listing in the same language as ours, the date, the lot number, and the auction house or the name of the sales website, you will most often be able to find and view the items mentioned.)