Epic Ceramic Vase – Ernestine Cannon for Ernestine Salerno, 1950s–1960s

Tall mid-century ceramic vase from Ernestine Cannon’s Salerno workshop with a softly swelling body, slim neck and a dense, glossy red glaze that shifts from oxblood to bright crimson. A strong example of Cannon’s postwar Italian production, where American design sensibility meets Mediterranean colour and craft.

• Dimensions: H 36 cm, Dia 20 cm, Opening Dia ca. 2 cm
• Material: Ceramic
• Brand: Ernestine Salerno
• Designer: Ernestine Virden-Cannon
• Color: Deep glossy red with subtle tonal variation
• Condition: Excellent vintage condition; no chips or cracks, one small surface scratch visible on close inspection, light signs of age from careful handling
• Era: 1950s–1960s
• Origin: Italy
• Remarks: Retains original “Ernestine Salerno – Italy” label to underside

Perfect as a colour anchor in a living room or dining area: place it at the end of a sideboard or on a low cabinet where daylight can skim the glaze, and pair it with neutral objects in wood, linen or stone so the red really sings. Use just a single branch, a few dried stems or leave it empty – the height, narrow neck and glowing glaze make it read like a vintage design accent even without flowers.

Ernestine Virden-Cannon (1904–1969) was an American ceramicist and designer who settled in Salerno, Italy and founded the Ernestine workshop in 1948, creating modern earthenware dinnerware and decorative ceramics that helped revive local post-war production. Her vividly hand-painted mid-century pieces gained international visibility (including U.S. retail distribution) and earned a 1951 Neiman Marcus Fashion Award, making signed “Ernestine Salerno” ceramics sought-after collector items today.

Ernestine Salerno was the post-war Salerno ceramics label behind a distinctive range of mid-century Italian earthenware – brightly painted plates, bowls, pitchers, lidded jars, and condiment pieces that blended clean modern shapes with playful, folk-leaning decoration. Pieces are typically identified by hand-painted or stamped “Ernestine / Salerno / Italy” markings, and collectors value them for their saturated color palette, graphic shape, and the fact that sets were made in many mix-and-match variations rather than a single rigid pattern program.