A FERRO BASIN, SAVONA, SECOND HALF 18TH CENTURY BASIN, SAVONA, FERRO MANUFACTORY, SECOND HALF 18TH CENTURY in faience decorated in white savings on a manganese black ground, oval-shaped body with flat brim and deep cavetto. The front presents a typical 'chinoiserie': on aerial islands arranged on several planes one can read in the centre a group of figures in oriental dress seated at a table intent on playing with a monkey, while an attendant drives away the insects with a weathervane; the scene is surrounded by a backdrop of trees, flowers and birds, and in the background at top right appears a landscape with huddled farmhouses and on a small island two barely visible figures. On the reverse, the ornamentation shows a European-style garland of flowers centred by a crowned eagle with spread wings and the dotted letter F, a symbol used by the Ferro family to mark their ceramic production. The basin, known to have been displayed in some important exhibitions, was recently published by Arrigo Cameirana, who proposed its attribution to Bernardo Ferro junior, collaborator of his father Giuseppe, and owner of the factory when his parent died in 1775. A similar decoration is also found in a cup with lid, which also shows some ochre touches to embellish the composition, again attributable to the work of the Ferro family; 28x36.5 cm, h. 6 cm Exhibition Genoa, Palazzo Reale, April-June 1939; Savona, May-June 1992 Literature O. Grosso, G. Morazzoni (ed.), Mostra dell'antica maiolica ligure dal secolo XIV al secolo XVIII , Milano 1939, tav LXXIX; A. Cameirana, in D. Tiscione (ed.), Seconda mostra delle antiche maioliche savonesi , Savona 1992, pp 64-65 n. 39; A. Cameirana in C. Chilosi (ed.), Ceramiche della tradizione ligure, Thesaurus di opere dal Medio Evo al primo Novecento , Cinisello Balsamo 2011, p. 140, p. 144 n. 159