Vintage Italian Majolica Monkey & Citrus Figural Teapot — Circa 1970s

Okay, this one has personality.

A wonderfully eccentric vintage majolica teapot sculpted as a wide-eyed monkey clutching an oversized yellow citrus fruit — complete with his curling tail forming the handle and expressive face incorporated into the lid.

The ceramic is richly hand-painted, with warm dimensional fur, glossy leaves and fruit, and all the saturated color that makes vintage majolica so impossible to ignore.

Technically a teapot. Realistically? A tiny tropical sculpture with a very important job.

Display it on open shelving, let it take over a bar cart, mix it into a maximalist tablescape or actually use it for tea if you are the kind of person who believes ordinary teapots are simply not trying hard enough.

Attributed to Italy / Southern Europe, circa 1970s, with strong Mediterranean majolica influence. The piece measures approximately 10" in each direction.

Equal parts collectible, functional and completely ridiculous — in the best possible way.

DETAILS

• Vintage figural teapot
• Circa 1970s
• Italy / Southern European attributed
• Glazed ceramic / majolica style
• Sculptural monkey figure
• Oversized yellow citrus fruit motif
• Curled monkey tail forms handle
• Removable figural lid
• Hand-painted finish
• Tropical / Mediterranean design
• Functional + decorative object
• One available

Chairish categorizes the piece as vintage ceramic and lists Italy as the country of origin.

DIMENSIONS

Approximately:

10" W × 10" D × 10" H

CONDITION

Very good vintage condition.

The glaze remains vivid and the existing listing notes no chips. Chairish classifies it as original, unaltered vintage condition with some age-related imperfections.

As with all vintage pieces, minor variations, glaze irregularities and signs of previous life are part of the character of the piece.

DĒSSO NOTE

There are objects you quietly style into a room.

And then there is this monkey.

Give him one shelf and suddenly the entire room has a personality. I love him mixed into otherwise sophisticated interiors where one completely unserious object makes everything better.