Italian Art. Clelia Bertetti (1904-1995) was an Italian ceramic artist and art director who was most active during the 1930's. She received her training at l'accademia di Belle Arti in Torino, and in Florence at the studio of sculptor Guido Cadori. She was the most famous of the art directors at Lenci Pottery where she worked from 1927 to 1930. In 1929, her work was shown at Gallery Pesaro in Milan. In 1932 she left Lenci and partnered with Piero Ducato to open Le Bertetti studio in Torino. Her work was featured in many prominent exhibitions in Italy during the 1930's including Mostra degli Amici dell'Arte (Exhibition of Friends of the Arts) in Torino in 1933, Mostra dell'Artigianato (Exhibition of Crafts) in Florence in 1935 and Mostra d'Arte Sacra (Exhibition of Sacred Art) at the Vatican. The studio closed in 1942 but Bertetti continued with her career in the arts focusing primarily on sculpture. She died in Torino in 1995.
This large and rare pair of Le Bertetti figures are exquisitely executed. The Indonesian girl, Penida, is playing a tambourine and dressed in a skirt with handpainted animals, fish and human figures. She wears a colorful necklace and flowers in her hair. Her skin is done in a matte glaze while her hair and dress are gloss. The Indonesian boy, Bantang, plays a sitar and is dressed in white pants with a printed belt. He is wearing a patterned kerchief. He also has contrasting matte and gloss glazes. Penida, 17" h., 14" w., 9" d. Bantang, 15" h., 20" w., 10" d. Italian, c. 1930's
SOLD
Condition: Excellent-very good vintage condition with age appropriate wear. Penida has two tiny glaze flakes, one to the tambourine and one to a flower. Bantang has a repair to the tie on the kerchief and a small glaze flake on his shoulder.
