Art Deco Italian Majolica Vases Pair, Hand Painted Pottery Ram Head Handles

An exceptional pair of 1920s–1930s Italian majolica vases, richly hand painted and crowned by sculptural twin ram-head handles — a wonderfully expressive example of interwar Italian decorative pottery.

The baluster-shaped bodies are decorated with elaborate floral compositions in deep cobalt blue, turquoise, magenta and dusty pink, warm ochre and yellow-orange tones against a creamy glazed ground. Particularly beautiful is the treatment of the pedestal bases and the blue-green detailing surrounding the ram heads, where carefully layered tonal brushwork creates an extraordinary sense of depth and an almost lustrous shimmer as the pieces catch the light.

The sculpted ram heads are perhaps the most distinctive feature of the design. Stylised yet wonderfully expressive, they emerge from either side of the flared necks and give the vases a strong architectural character.

Both vases retain their original hand-painted markings to the underside: the pattern or model number “A.99.” and the country-of-origin mark “ITALY,” indicating production for the international luxury export market. These surviving marks, together with the distinctive Art Deco form and decoration, form an important part of the history of this interwar Italian pair.

At around a century in age, the vases have developed fine crazing throughout their glazed surfaces, giving them the unmistakable character of genuinely aged majolica.

Their symmetrical form makes them particularly suited to displaying as a pair on a mantel, sideboard or console, although each vase has enough sculptural presence to be displayed separately.

Measurements:
Height: 20 cm / 7.87 in each
Maximum width: approx. 16 cm / 6.30 in each
Combined weight: 1 kg / 2.20 lb

Condition:
Good antique condition with wear consistent with age and use. Both vases show fine age-related crazing and some glaze/enamel loss. The vases are structurally stable and stand securely and level.

One vase has a very old historic repair to the underside of the base, with darkened aged repair material, as well as a discreet repair to part of the upper rim. Both repairs are stable and do not detract from the overall appearance when displayed.

All condition details are visible in the photos.