27. Rare Faenza majolica group depicting the Nativity, attributed to the workshop of Giovanni di Nicola Manzoni, probably Colle Val d'Elsa, circa 1510. An rare Faenza maiolica group of the Nativity, attributed to the workshop of Giovanni di Nicola Manzoni, probably Colle Val d'Elsa, circa 1510 Depicting Joseph and Mary kneeling by the Infant Jesus, a stall with an ox and a donkey in the centre, and a seated figure playing bagpipes and two sheep to the right, all on a green-glazed slab base edged with blue double-line and ochre borders, 27.5cm across; 15.5cm high (some chips to glaze) Provenance Private collection, Modena A signed piece by this artist is in the collection of the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts, one of a series of twenty-three 'calamai' or writing-sets produced in this style published by Timothy Wilson, Le maioliche rinascimentali nelle collezioni della Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Perugia (2007), cat. no. 87, of which one (no. 16, p. 65) closely resembles the present lot. It cannot be ruled out that this group also originally incorporated two small ink containers. Another is in the Fitzwilliam Museum, published by J. Poole, Italian Maiolica and Incised Slipware in the Fitzwilliam Museum (1996), no. 324.