Napoli, Filippo Tagliolini

(Fogliano di Cascia,, 1745 - Napoli,, 1809)

The extraordinary and extremely rare object is the work of the modeler Filippo Tagliolini active in the Royal Ferdinandea Factory since 1780 at the express request of the Sovereign.

We like to hypothesize, due to the refinement of execution, that it is itself a tribute by Tagliolini to Ferdinando as gratitude and proof of his sculptural skills.

Interesting is the choice of the wedgwood technique imported from English fashion which was then used very little in Neapolitan production, despite its extreme effectiveness and elegance.
In the "Price note of 1805" of the Fabbrica Ferdinandea, Tagliolini himself vaguely mentions "...medals with portraits of the Sovereigns..." also meaning various biscuit medals, some made with a blue background like the Wedgwood artefacts.

Three pairs of profiles paired according to the production of the medals indicated are known in the collections of the Filangieri Museum, the San Martino Museum, and one with a Wedgwood blue background with the profiles facing within a gilded frame in the collections of the Correale Museum of Sorrento.

While two medallions enclosed within superb decorations in wood and gilded lead are kept at El Escorial in Spain