Glazed terracotta fountain from Vietri di Salerno, Italy, 1990s.

This impressive fountain is ideal as a decorative element for luxurious interiors or winter gardens. Produced in Vietri in the early 1990s, it consists of four parts: the upper decoration, the front panel, the collection basin, and the pedestal. With vibrant colours in various shades of green and ochre, the fountain features an elaborate artistic design. A striking decorative element is the lion's head sculpted in high relief on the vertical panel, with a bronze finish that highlights the mane. Above and below the lion's head are two fan or shell decorations in ochre tones. The large collection basin, also in the same colour, is accentuated by the dark green of the base. The support is decorated with garland and chain motifs that complement the monumental aesthetic of the piece. The glazed terracotta from Vietri, commonly known as Vietri ceramics, is an excellence of Campanian craftsmanship that dates back to a millennia-old past. It is neither simple terracotta nor porcelain, but belongs to the family of glazed artistic ceramics: the hand-shaped clay undergoes an initial firing, then is covered with a white vitreous glaze that makes it waterproof and shiny, onto which painted decorations are applied, followed by a second firing at around 1000°C to fix the vibrant colours.