DUILIO CAMBELLOTTI (1876-1960)

The present lot is a rare example of Duilio Cambellotti’s distinctive artistic vision. A sculptor, painter, furniture and graphic designer, Cambellotti was an important figure in Italy because of his far-reaching influence in virtually all creative spheres of the decorative and applied arts of the first half of the 20th century. The bowl was designed to be filled with water to give the impression of the buffalos being partially submerged in a lake.

Exhibited in 1911 in Rome at the International Exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Italy's unification, nine or fewer casts of this model were executed. Another example of this model is in the collection of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna in Rome.