Rare Pair of 'Arte Povera' Glass Vases with Chinoiserie Decor, Piedmont, 18th Century

This fascinating pair of vases brilliantly illustrates the ingenuity and refinement of 18th-century Italian decorative arts. Made in the Piedmont region, these objects utilize the complex technique of Arte Povera (or lacca povera). To counter the exorbitant cost of imported Far Eastern porcelain, Italian craftsmen cut out fine paper engravings, meticulously applied them face-down to the inside of a glass vessel, and then backed the entire interior with a layer of white paint. The illusion of hand-painted Asian porcelain was perfect, creating objects of singular charm that have today become museum-quality rarities. Standing 29.5 cm tall with a generous bulbous body of 22 cm in diameter, these vases adopt an elegant baluster shape with a flared neck. The decor, deeply rooted in the 18th-century taste for exoticism, abounds in 'Chinoiserie' motifs. It reveals a gallery of fascinating Oriental figures—armored warriors holding bows, scholarly dignitaries, and young women in flowing robes—set amidst a scattering of peonies, flowering branches, and delicate butterflies. Stylized lambrequin friezes highlight the rims. Offered in their authentic, untouched condition, this pair—over two hundred and fifty years old—shows expected wear and areas of paint loss on the inside of the glass (more pronounced on the neck of one vase). These alterations of time, inherent to the great fragility of this technique, testify to the absolute authenticity of the work. These are moving collector's pieces, ideal for enriching a cabinet of curiosities or displaying on a fine period commode.