Garden seat with pendants and tassels

Mentioned as “ornamental maiolica” or “for everyday use” in the Doccia factory documents, garden seats were distinguished from the artistic maiolica produced by Ginori since 1854 by simpler decoration and the practical purpose for which they were intended. 

This cylindrical-shaped example is modelled in relief like a padded stool, upholstered with fabric featuring braid trim, pendants, and tassels. The painted decoration shows flowering branches, birds, and butterflies on a blue background, imitating textiles inspired by the Orient. 

This type of seat was presented at the 1873 Vienna World's Fair as a “new model.” At Doccia, seats of various shapes were produced, such as the “three-cushion” stacked examples, with tassels hanging from the four corners of the cushions identical to those on ours, which were often lost due to impact damage. Later on, the Ginori manufactory also created seats with naturalistic themes, such as the leaf-shaped pierced model beneath which a capuchin monkey is hidden (inv. 7386). In the second half of the 19^th century, these products were among the public’s favourites and enjoyed great success, as evidenced by sales and commissions recorded in the Exhibition registers, now in the archives of the Museo Ginori.