Lot Number:
163
Item Location:
Denver
Preview Date/Time:
Online photos
Pickup Date/Time:
June 3rd-4th 10:00am-2:00pm
Start Date/Time:
05/26/26, 7:00 AM
End Date/Time:
06/02/26, 8:21:00 PM
Current Bid:
$16.00
Minimum Bid:
Auction has ended.
Buyer's Premium: 15% will be added to the final price. A 5% cash discount reduces the buyer's premium to 10% when paying in cash.
Description:
This charming two-piece set consists of hand-painted Italian majolica earthenware donkey-and-cart figurines, each featuring a gray donkey pulling a two-wheeled open cart that functions as a small planter or trinket holder. The style and execution are consistent with mid-20th century Italian folk pottery, likely produced in the Deruta, Vietri sul Mare, or similar southern Italian ceramic tradition circa 1940s-1960s, when such whimsical animal cart pieces were widely exported to the American market as souvenir and decorative wares. Each piece is hand-modeled and hand-painted with a lively polychrome palette including teal lattice crosshatch patterns on the cart sides, bright yellow cart frames, burgundy-red spoked wheels, and gray donkeys with orange inner ears and purple-accented harness details. The cart interiors are sponge-decorated in turquoise and white, and the scalloped rims are trimmed in ochre gold. Construction shows the characteristic thick earthenware body, slightly uneven hand-formed details, and brush-applied glaze typical of artisan Italian majolica production. Each unit measures approximately 7 inches long by 3 inches tall. Condition is Good to Very Good overall; both pieces show expected crazing to the glaze consistent with age, light paint wear and rubbing to the donkeys' bodies particularly on raised surfaces, and minor glaze loss in spots — no major chips or cracks are visible. The pieces are structurally intact and display well as a matched pair.