Creazioni Luciano matchbox, probably 1960s (4.5″ l. x 2″ w.)

The world of ceramics never fails to bring something new and wonderful to my door. This lively eel (fish?) is a product of Salerno-based Creazioni Luciano, a firm founded in 1955 which still makes lovely ceramics today. Far from a simple matchbox, this slippery fellow has a direct tie to Creazioni Luciano’s breakthrough technique: a cloisonné-type process in which embossed designs are manually filled with colored glazes. This allows the glazes to melt and fill evenly, leaving the vibrant and painterly result you see here. I’ve tried through the years to find a matching (pardon the pun) box, but with no luck; it appears as the “village scenes” series they produced was far more popular, if online auctions are any indication. I’ll keep looking, though. After all, you won’t catch anything if you don’t keep fishing!