Vibrant, Hand-Painted, Italian Bassano Majolica Dish, Tulip-Shaped, Vintage, VGC

A vintage piece of Italian Bassano Majolica pottery, shaped like a tulip in bud, and beautifully hand-painted using vivid magenta-pink, emerald green and pale earthtone olive-yellow colours. A classic example of trompe l'oeil design. The dish is coated in a thick glass-like tin glaze giving it a reflective sheen and emphasizing the hand-painted brush strokes. The underside contains the back stamp confirming its origins. A tiny piece of the magenta paint has flaked off, top right (see photo 6), although this is very small, less than a mm in diameter. The dish is likely to date from the mid- to late 20th century. Whilst this is a collector's piece, it would not look out of place in any home.