Lenci

LENCI (Turin, act. 1919-1940's).
Centerpiece with birds. 1940.
Hand-painted porcelain figure.
Signed with anagram on one side.
With marks of manufacture on the back.
Measurements: 15 x 45 x 45 cm.
Lenci was initially an Italian doll manufacturer established in Turin, founded in 1919. Later, they would expand their production of ceramics and porcelain to diverse audiences. They also made decorative plates and attractive centerpieces such as the one in question, with two colorfully plumed kingfishers resting in the eaves. Lenci ceramics are now highly prized collector's items. The company name is an acronym of the following Latin phrase: !Ludus est nobis constanter industria" (play is our constant work). The company was founded by Enrico Scavini, who married Elena König in 1915. They both started out producing pressed felt dolls, but in the late 1920s they turned to artistic ceramics and porcelain, collaborating with the best artists in Milan. Lenci's collaborators included Luigi Chessa, Giovanni Grande, Otto Maraini, Felice Tosalli, Mario Sturani and Sandro Vacchetti, who was also the first artistic director. The company's dolls achieved great renown, being the most famous dolls in Italy during the 1920s and 1930s, a time convulsed by the fascist dictatorship. Moreover, the success became international in a short time, receiving awards at international exhibitions in Zurich, Rome, Paris and Milan. In the 1950s, the Lenci factory produced Disney figures such as Bambi, Thumper, Peter Pan, Dumbo and Pinocchio under license. Lenci ceramics are now highly prized collector's items.