Very Rare Vintage Romano Innocenti Italian Hand-Painted Bird Trinket Box

This is such a special piece, and one I ended up spending far longer researching than I probably should admit because I knew there was something really special about it as soon as I saw it. It was made by Romano Innocenti (1936–2005), the Italian ceramic artist who worked from Montefiesole, near Florence. Innocenti trained in the workshop of Marcello Fantoni before developing his own wonderfully recognisable style, and once I started looking through his work the connection to this little box became impossible to miss. The lid is completely hand-painted with the most incredible little bird surrounded by curling leaves and flowers, in that gorgeous combination of cobalt blue, turquoise, yellow and touches of pink that appears again and again in Innocenti’s work. I love how much detail is apparent in such a small space - the tiny outlined feathers, little scales of colour across the bird’s body, the striped tail and those beautifully loose leaves around the edge. Nothing is printed or perfectly repeated; you can see the movement of the brush everywhere. The decoration carries around the sides too, with rows of overlapping blue and turquoise scallops beneath that deep cobalt band around the lid. Even from across the room it has such a strong presence, but the closer you look the more lovely little details you notice. The base is hand-signed ‘Innocenti’, and finding a matching signature on one of Romano Innocenti’s sculptural birds was what finally confirmed this as unmistakably Innocenti’s work. Once I started looking properly at his work, the similarities became much clearer too - the same brilliant cobalt and turquoise, warm yellow, little touches of pink and that wonderful way of building up birds from overlapping, hand-painted feathers and scales. I think what I love most is that it still feels incredibly joyful and modern despite being a vintage piece. It would be beautiful on a bedside table for jewellery, or taking centre stage on a coffee table filled with tiny collected treasures. A genuinely special piece of Italian pottery, beautifully made, beautifully painted and unmistakably Romano Innocenti. Maker: Romano Innocenti Origin: Montefiesole, near Florence, Italy Material: Hand-painted glazed ceramic / majolica Signed: ‘Innocenti’ by hand to the base Dimensions; Height: 6.5cm Length: 10.5cm Width: 7.5cm Vintage condition: In beautiful vintage condition, with the tiny variations in glaze, brushwork and colour that come from being completely hand-painted.