Italian Hand-Painted Ceramic Lady Figurine on Wood Base, c.1940s–1950s

She's been sitting like this for about 80 years and she is absolutely not sorry about it. This Italian ceramic dame — hand-painted, theatrically dressed, and holding a mirror with the confidence of someone who already knows she looks fabulous — is one of those pieces that makes a room feel like it has a personality.

The craftsmanship is genuinely impressive: the voluminous skirt with its swirling pink and green folds, the hand-painted floral motifs scattered across the fabric, the yellow off-shoulder bodice, the dark corset — all executed with the kind of care that you simply don't find in mass production. She sits on a solid black-painted wooden base that grounds the whole composition beautifully.

A note on condition: one hand has had a professional repair at some point in her long life — it's barely visible and doesn't detract from the piece at all. The wooden base has a few small woodworm holes that have been treated and are no longer active. She is otherwise in excellent condition for her age, which, frankly, is more than most of us can say.

• Italian ceramic, hand-painted, c.1940s–1950s
• Seated lady with mirror, voluminous floral skirt
• Mounted on original black-painted wooden base
• One hand professionally repaired — barely visible
• Woodworm holes on base treated and inactive
• 33 × 22 × 24 cm, 2,542 g

WARNING: This figurine will immediately become the most talked-about object on any shelf you put her on. Maison de L'oro accepts no responsibility for the conversations she starts.