I could use some help with information on this Fantoni Lamp. I have the opportunity to buy it at a fair price, but am skeptical on if this was originally a vase turned into a lampo because of the hole on the bottom? I am told this is by Guido Fantoni..
I don't know anything about the maker, but the way that the hole goes threw the mark, and the chipping of the glaze around the hole makes me think it was a vase when it left the factory, and then drilled out by a subsequent owner.
yes, this is a fantoni mark and a fantoni collector would view this as severe damage. Having the hole go through the mark is even worse than just a hole.
The name of the artist was Marcello Fantoni. He was born in Florence in 1915 and passed away in 2011. Your piece is a very nice early example of his work that probably dates to the mid to late 1930's. This was a period in his artistic life where he was fascinated by African Tribal designs and patterns and stylized animal figures. Unfortunately the others who responded to you are correct in the their comments about the reduced value due to damage done to the vase by the poor attempt to convert it into a lamp.
You don't show the top of yours, but I found these this morning--scroll to the two white ones in the same shape. They don't look like they could ever have been anything but lamps.
I would take anything listed on 1stdibs with a grain of salt. Divide what they ask by 3 and thats usually what they sell for here. The highest priced Fantoni sold here recently was $1100 which is lower than all the asking prices on 1stdibs.
