Amphora

Pot with a prominent bulging belly used for storing olive oil or other foodstuffs, although, in this case, it may only have been used for decorative purposes.
This piece was modelled at the workshops of the Real Fábrica do Rato, in Lisbon, by Tomás Brunetto, who was born in Turin (Italy) and was invited by Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, the Marquis of Pombal, to serve as the first master of that industry (from 1767 to 1771).
It is an object that displays a certain sophistication, achieved through the exuberance of its rococo decoration, in turn influenced by the Chinese blue-and-white porcelain pieces. The drawing of an asymmetrical fantasised landscape, inspired by orientalist motifs, reveals a luxuriant Nature, with rocks, twisted tree trunks and some flowers, over which two birds can be seen flying. This scene also contains a triumphal arch, vaguely inspired by oriental architecture.
This short time during which Tomás Brunetto worked at the Fábrica do Rato was one of the most extraordinary periods in the history of Portuguese ceramics.