EarlyAmericanCeramics.com: Early 20th Century Italian Sculptural Terracotta Found in a Thrift Store Near Boston

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Early 20th Century Italian Sculptural Terracotta Found in a Thrift Store Near Boston

Over the last few days, my niece Alexis and myself made two separate discoveries of early twentieth century classic style sculptural Italian terracotta at the Salvation Army in Saugus, Massachusetts. There is no way this is a coincidence, seeing that both of these objects are likely from the same manufacturer, representing this company's two types of design, whereas I suspect a house was cleaned out to some extent somewhere in the north of Boston area.

We found the first object last weekend and it is a Renaissance style terracotta medallion surrounded by copper. I knew it was something at the time, but I was not sure where it was made beyond being from a European manufacturer. However, we found a really good early twentieth century ancient style terracotta urn or planter last night, which is adorned on the base with the mark of the Dini E Cellai Company in Italy, and stamped, “DINI E CELLAI SIGNA” on the bottom. It is also stamped with the number “53.”

This company was established in Lastra a Signa, a town located about seven miles to the west of Florence, Italy in 1895. In Helen Zimmern’s 1906 book, The Italy of the Italians, she noted, “An interesting new industry is that of the so-called Signa ware, a species of terracotta, in which reproductions of old and modern sculpture are made with industry wonderful success. In this medium by some process kept secret, this fragile substance is rendered harder than stone and toned to an agreeable yellowish tint; it is also possible to reproduce the very aspect and character of bronze.

These Signa terra cottas, sold at a relatively low price, permit of the possession in house and grounds of some of the masterpieces of plastic art. The centre of the industry is Florence."

According to the Digital Archive of the Arts of Lastra a Signa: "The history of the Dini & Cellai Company is that of one of the most important factories that arose in the wake of the Signa Manufactory in the early twentieth century. The partnership began in 1902 with the establishment of a company between Gino di Ernesto Dini, who was born and a resident in Ponte a Signa, along with Giuseppe by Raffaello Cellai, who was born in Vienna, Austria and a resident in Florence, both of whom were sculptors.

The company name Dini & Cellai Terrecotte di Signa, which contains an explicit reference to the headquarters of the precious manufacture, had as its object the production and sale of ceramic and terracotta artifacts, reproductions of ancient and Renaissance works that were fashionable at that time. The manufacturing site was located in the municipality of Lastra and precisely in the hamlet of Ponte a Signa in via di San Martino, while the registered office and also the sales office were strategically located in Florence.

In the first period of activity in the twentieth century, Dini & Cellai obtained important awards, such as the gold medal at the 1904 Saint Louis World's Fair, otherwise known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. However, due to the meager funds allocated by the government, the Italian artistic manufacturers that were able to participate in the Exhibition were unfortunately few. But Dini & Cellai was a great success and the terracottas made in the manner of the Signa Manufactory began to spread in the United States, as well.

Another important goal was reached thanks to the participation in the Milan Exhibition of 1906 in which Dini & Cellai obtained the Grand Diploma of Honor; this was reported in the chronicles of the time, where it was stated that the artifacts produced by the company were so well executed that "every art enthusiast, who has the feeling of aesthetics, of good taste feels the need to have at least one of these valuable reproductions in their apartments.

However, on December 19, 1919, the company was put into liquidation and in its place a few days later a joint stock company was formed, which took the name of Società Anonima Dini & Cellai.

In the early 1920s, the factory continued to produce ceramics for furnishings, statues and ornamental panels, as can be seen from a photograph posted below that shows the workers and young apprentices at the factory surrounded by various terracotta objects, shapes and models. The subsequent financial statements of May 31, 1922 closed with a large loss and the company was therefore put into liquidation and definitively closed in 1923."

It is unclear how either of these objects migrated to America, although they are really cool finds, nonetheless! These pieces may have migrated from Italy to the Boston area in the early to mid twentieth century. Here is a link to a related object that is owned by the National Museum of Warsaw in Poland: https://mnki.pl/pl/o_muzeum/zbiory_online/9,rzemioslo_artystyczne/pokaz/2764,cachepot_z_procesja_putt,1.

Note: These types of ancient style terracotta urns or planters were also made in America - for an example from Philadelphia - see a feature story I wrote for the February 3, 2023 issue of Antiques & Auction News, titled, The Galloway Terra-Cotta Company of Philadelphia: A Brief Examination: http://www.earlyamericanceramics.com/2023/01/new-published-story-galloway-terra.html.

Early 20th Century Italian Sculptural Terracotta