Italian Artisan Ceramic Plate Signed Ravello

  I've been quite busy over the last couple of weeks, so have been neglecting to update this blog with my various studio pottery finds in my collection and since I just took some photos of this little plate signed Ravello, I decided to write today.

Last week I found this beautiful little ceramic plate in a thrift shop.  It appears to be wheel thrown and shows all the characteristics of being hand made.  It is painted with some sort of raised enamel & then was glazed.  The bottom of the plate is signed Ravello, and at first glance I thought it was a studio pottery artisan's name signed with a Sharpie, however, after a quick Google search, it turns out that Ravello is a town on the Amalfi Coast of Italy, a town known for their beautiful hand crafted and hand painted ceramics.

I don't know which specific Ravello artist made this little plate, but it's beautiful and am happy that I found it.  If anyone knows who may have made this, or its possible age, naturally a modern piece from late 20th century I believe, but also possibly 21st century.  I honestly don't know, but the piece does show signs of age, so, maybe it's a little bit older than I think.    I'm not sure what the pattern or style is called, so if anyone reading this post knows the answer, I'd greatly appreciate your help.

More Studio Pottery Added to My Collection

Today I decided to go back to one of my favorite charity thrift stores because they were having a half off sale, and I ended up bringing home a few more studio pottery pieces to add to my collection.

Surprisingly, the remaining pieces signed Graf that I wrote about in my last post were still there and although I liked all of them, I could only afford to buy one, even though they were only $6.50 each after taking 50% off.

Here's a pic of what I picked up today, plus 2 pieces I picked up on Monday.  Some of them are signed, a couple of them are not.  The long necked vessel in the center is the one by Graf, signed the same was as the others.

I hope to show more about each of the pieces I have when I know more about them, so stay tuned.. and of course I'll update with each new find as my collection grows.

At the moment, my collection is still very small, at only 18 pieces so far, although one could argue I have more than that if I counted in the hand made pieces of Asian origin, which I consider part of a separate collection, and not as studio pottery, but Asian art, and I write about those on my other blog.

Here's a photo of the Graf studio pottery vessel.  I call it a vessel, because I'm not sure what the proper name is, or if vase is the right term or not.

I still haven't found out anything about the artist, nor have I learned what types of clay and glazes were used on the Graf studio pottery pieces.

Studio Pottery, Signed Graf, R-S

I am new to collecting studio pottery, so, as of this posting I am unfamiliar with the various types of clay and glazes, therefore do not know much about these 3 studio pottery pieces I've acquired yesterday and today.

I collect Asian art & antiques of various forms, mostly Chinese and Japanese porcelain, so I am frequently visiting antiques shops, thrift stores, and several other second hand merchandise types of stores looking for new pieces for my collection, but it wasn't until very recently that I became interested in collecting studio pottery, and so yesterday while out on one of my usual treasure hunts, I found this tan and blue glazed studio pottery bowl signed Graf, at least that's what I think it says.  It is also marked R-S, but I have no idea what it means.

Later on in the afternoon, I eagerly began searching for information about who made this and from what decade or year it may have been made, but as of yet, I have learned nothing about the artisan who created this piece.   I joined the Facebook group "Studio Pottery Collectors" and made my first post, asking for information on the piece, but thus far, no information has been obtained.

As I continued to look around hoping to find answers I ended up learning a little more about studio pottery, and even came across many auction listings for various different kinds of studio pottery, some of them very expensive, and apparently very collectable.   Although I at this time have no interest in selling, the idea of a piece having high monetary value is appealing to me, because one never knows when a financial emergency may arise, and perhaps it could be an extra investment, or even more importantly, it can contribute to a better estate for my daughter when my time on this earth has come up.

  As a result of seeing the various prices of several forms of studio pottery, I returned to the shop where I purchased the bowl, because I recalled seeing several pieces, all with the same signature, Graf, and all with R-S.   Unfortunately, I could not afford the few higher priced ones, nor was I willing to pay the asking price, however, I did purchase two additional pieces for $2 each, so now have three pieces of studio pottery signed Graf.

 

In addition to the aforementioned tan & blue glazed bowl, there is a blue glaze jar, and what I can only describe as some form of cup, although the bottom portion of the interior is rough and crude, making it unsuitable for functional beverage use.  It has a brown glaze, and the clay feels rough, like coarse sand.

All of them are signed Graf, and all are marked R-S.  The blue jar however, has some writing on it that says "T-826, 10-20-30-40, Co-Ruti" , but I have no idea what it means.

Tan and blue glazed studio pottery bowl, signed Graf.

Blue glazed studio pottery jar, signed Graf.

Brown glazed studio pottery cup, signed Graf


Graf signature and R-S marking on the base

If anyone reading this knows anything about who the artist is of this studio pottery, please leave a comment.  Additionally, as I am a new collector, and wish to learn more, I'd appreciate it if anyone could tell me what types of glaze and clays these pieces are made of, etc.   Thank you.