Turkeys

Turkeys
1916, patinated terracotta
Guido Cacciapuoti made the terracotta Turkeys in 1916. The pair of birds is modeled with great care: the male shows his large tail while doing the courtship “wheel,” while the female is smaller and quieter beside him. The long legs lift the two birds off the base, creating gaps between the bodies and the ground. Unlike the other works, this one has been “patinated.” Patination involves coating the surface of the terracotta with a semi-transparent color (in this case bronze color) to make it shiny and vivid.
This subject was very successful: just think that a similar composition was bought by King Victor Emmanuel III!
In the 1920s, Cacciapuoti moved to Milan, where he opened a ceramics factory together with his brother. His business would continue for many years, always maintaining a strong connection with the world of animals.