The charm of the Orient
Exotic / erotic influences in post-Lenci Italian ceramics (1930– 1960)
Abstract
This article analyses Orientalist motifs in Italian ceramics between the 1930s and 1960s, with a particular focus on the work of Lenci and its followers. Through a historical and artistic analysis, the article highlights how the exotic and erotic imagery derived from European Orientalism profoundly influenced the production of ceramic figurines intended for the Italian middle class. Oriental maidens, odalisques and dancers become the protagonists of a decorative repertoire that blends Art Deco, exotic taste and artisanal mass production. The article also explores the role of post-Lenci manufacturers — including Ars Pulchra, C.I.A. Manna, Le Bertetti, Ronzan and Liani — in the dissemination of mass-produced artistic ceramics capable of combining aesthetic quality with commercial appeal. Orientalist ceramics are thus interpreted as an expression of an imaginary world suspended between modernity, fantastical escapism and exotic nostalgia, as well as one of the last forms of aesthetic resistance by artisanal ceramics in the face of the growing industrialisation of the post-war period.
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