ars longa * 05-070. Giovanni DeSimone Small pitcher.

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05-070. Giovanni DeSimone
Small pitcher
DeSimone Pottery
Italy, c. 1970
6 x 4.5 x 6.5"
Glazed ceramic
Hand-signed and numbered

It is funny how I seem to find items in groups. This month it has been tablecloths and DeSimone pottery. Before these past several weeks, I've only found one piece of DeSimone's work. This find makes a total of seven pieces! This little jug has some of the most interesting decorations and motifs I've found to date. Up until this point, every piece I've found has been symmetrical in their decoration. This piece, however, has different images on each side—a rooster holding a flower, a sprouting plant, a face. Tie this all together with Picasso-influenced
abstractions, and you have DeSimone!

Found on June 14, 2005 in Columbia Heights, MN.

Marte Holley said: I have a signed pitcher 10" with the number stamped in 08. It is from the 70's as well. It also have a similar design just different colors, etc. The mouth of the pitcher is the same. I am not sure of the value of this piece and am looking to sell it on ebay, and or at an antiques site. Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Marte Holley
7.5.06

Scott said: Marte: I don't have a whole lot of information on Giovanni DeSimone at the moment. I've sold a handful of items on eBay myself, but am far from qualified to give an auction estimate for your pitcher, unfortunately. Your best bet would be to take a quick look at eBay to see what prices for his pottery are like currently. Unfortunately that's the best I can do for you.
7.5.06WEBSITE

Diane said: I too have a Desimone pitcher with the "eyes" on the side. It's marked: "Desimone Italy '65" and then a 65 is stamped into the clay. I thought that was the year, but now I'm thinking it was the number of the item. I'm also looking for some indication as to what it's worth, but I was wondering if you know if each Desimone piece is unique, or could two identical items be found? Thank you.
7.1.08

Scott said: Each piece is unique in that they are hand painted so no two are ever exactly the same. There are certain patterns that were used over and over again, but since each is decorated by hand even these have slight differences.
7.1.08WEBSITE

Christine Grenat said: I was so excited to find this website! I found one of his pieces a couple of years ago at a flea market in Baton Rouge, LA. It has "Desimone Italy 39" on the bottom of it. There's also a very faint engraved number, either 06 or 90. It is a bowl with a bird on each side with a yellow head, orange body, red wing, & blue tail. It looks as if it's wearing a red, white & blue necklace. It is facing some type of upside down blue feather. It looks as if it goes with the bird pitcher on this website. Perhaps they were a set at one time.
9.14.08WEBSITE

Scott said: Thanks Christine! Desimone produced LOTS of similar patterns, so I would be surprised if there weren't several different types of form with this kind of decoration. It certainly would make an exciting grouping if you had a set all together, wouldn't it? I am glad you found the site and are enjoying it, and I hope you'll keep coming back and keep participating.
9.14.08WEBSITE

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