Lenci

LENCI (Turin, d. 1919-1940's).
"Seated Baby with Fruit".
Hand-painted ceramic figure.
With house marks on the back.
Measurements: 12 x 10 x 10 cm.
Lenci was an Italian doll manufacturer based in Turin, founded in 1919. The name of the company 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 of upheaval due to the fascist dictatorship. Moreover, the success became international in a short time, receiving prizes at international exhibitions in Zurich, Rome, Paris and Milan.