Workshop of Carlo Giuseppe Rampini North Italian, Pavia, circa 1688-1720

painted probably by Siro Antonio Africa, with a soldier standing before a stylised multiple-arched building in a sparse landscape, the reverse with manganese sprigs, script V mark in black

Sotheby's Milan, 10th July 2007, lot 321

A Pavia maiolica dish, workshop of Carlo Giuseppe Rampini, circa 1688-1720 Very minor flakes, otherwise very good.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The attribution of this very distinctive class of later maiolica has been controversial in the past, with attributions to factories at Venice, Angarano, Bassano, Murano and Pavia, and dates from the late seventeenth century to the 1760s. The intriguing presence of various marks on many of the pieces, including a crown, Maltese cross and palm fronds, an AF monogram, a CGR monogram and an anchor, served only to confuse matters.

Thanks to work by Elena Pelizzoni in Faenza 49 and in subsequent articles, however, the type is now confidently attributed to Pavia, and in particular to the workshop of Carlo Giuseppe Rampini. The 'anchor' is convincingly thought to be in fact a grappling hook (Rampino in Italian).

Rampini took over his family's pottery in 1682 and ran it for over fifty years. At his death in 1735, an inventory was made which refers to over 2,000 pieces of pottery 'del Africa', decorated with 'architettura con figura'.

The senior painter at the workshop, Siro Antonio Africa, joined the company from a rival pottery in 1688, along with his 13 year old nephew Siro Domenico Africa, and they seem to have worked jointly to establish the style. It has been suggested, perhaps a little unconvincingly, that the AF monogram often found with the 'anchor' stands for the first two letters of his name, or possibly for 'Africa fecit'.