***THIS ITEM HAS NOW BEEN SOLD***
Hammered Metal Stairtower Panel
Mayan Motif Set B
From EUGENIO C
by Emanuele Luzzati

Items from SS BIG RED BOAT II (ex EUGENIO C, EUGENIO COSTA, EDINBURGH CASTLE, THE BIG RED BOAT II)

***PLEASE NOTE, THIS ITEM HAS NOW BEEN SOLD***
Hammered Metal Panel Mounted On Wood
Mayan Style Figures
15 Pieces
105.5 Inches Tall by 91.5 Inches Wide
Price:  Please Pegaso Gallery International (310-659-8159) For Details

The ensemble is shown on board the former EUGENIO C in September of 2005. Photo and copyright Peter Knego 2005.

As built, EUGENIO C was filled with some of Italy's finest artwork of the mid-1960s. Over the years and after many refits, much of it was either removed or pillaged, but when the lovely ship showed up on the beach of Alang, these wonderful panels still graced her port and starboard main stairtower.

Views of various portions of the panel after its safe reconstruction in Moorpark. Top, it is shown from the left side. Center, showing it from the right side. Bottom, seen from the bottom. Photos and copyright Peter Knego 2006.

This panel is another stunner! It is in excellent condition and all of its fifteen components are accounted for. The metal surfacing has a wonderful, textured patina. I am not sure if it is bronze or copper, but there is a hint of green here and there that makes me suspect it might contain some amount of either metal. There are some small textural indentations and very minor scrapes from 40 years of service, but overall the panel looks spectacular.

Views of some of the details in this amazing work. Photos and copyright Peter Knego 2006.

Emanuele Luzzati's shipboard contributions go back many decades.  In collaboration with the great triumvirate of Italian designers Gio Ponti, Nino Zoncada, and Gustavo Pulitzer, he and many other key artists contributed works that adorned a gamut of famous ships from CONTE BIANCAMANO to ANDREA DORIA and OCEANIC.  Luzzati is well known in Italy, not just for his ceramics, but his paintings, illustrations (several children's books), stage designs, and animation.  There is a museum and gallery in Genoa, where he still resides, dedicated to his works.

With many thanks to Italian ship historian Paolo Piccione and Mr. Luzzati's curator, I was able to interview the wonderful man in October of 2005 at his museum in Porto Antico, Genoa. He explained his creative process with this type of work. First, in reverse, he pressed the composition into the thin metal (aluminum, copper, or nickel) and then, once finished with the work, filled it in with a plaster-like substance. Once set, he cemented the work onto wood panels.