Ceramano “Orienta” (9.5cm x 11cm x 9.5cm)

I love collecting but once you get into the hundreds of anything, it becomes difficult to remember when you purchased something, how much you purchased it for or even why you purchased it. I did construct a spreadsheet two years ago to at least know what I had (always a good thing for insurance purposes, too), but that was after 15 years of collecting and many of the details were lost to time. That Giovanni De Simone plaque I bought? Well, it came from Rhode Island and was probably the heaviest package I’ve ever received… and that’s about it. I do remember finding my first “large” piece, a blue 53cm Scheurich “Amsterdamm” vase, because a) it was 53cm and b) I still use it every day as an umbrella holder by my front door. That tall avocado-colored Bitossi pitcher? $75 on the shelf of an antique store called “The Red Barn.” But so many others, well, I am sad to say they were probably online and as such were transactional only — akin to buying a pair of socks. And who remembers buying socks? All of this musing arose when I pulled this piece from storage and spent time examining its rather blurry decor while taking pictures. Ceramano made very few “art” boxes (I believe I have seen one in the “Urania” decor) and I like that is a bit of a mystery when you first see it and hold it; it feels more like a Bay piece, or even something Scandinavian. Although a quick internet search shows a few of these pieces available now, I do remember when I bought that I found almost nothing about it. Knowing how difficult it can be to source rare Ceramano pieces (15 years and still looking for the largest size “Odin” grrr), I bought it immediately. Wait a minute, some details surfaced after all! Good news — this is one piece which won’t be spending time in the sock drawer.