Large Italian pewter octopus-form caviar dish, Milan 20th Century

Stamped for 'Piero Figura per Atena, Milan,' this spectacular piece is a caviar dish, full of character and flair. It is cast in the form of an octopus with eight winding tentacles, while the head forms for the cover for the central enclave.

It is made of pewter, and is marked on the base and stamped ETAIN 95% to denote the high purity. It was made in Milan by a craftsman by the name Piero Figura, for the firm Atena, and dates to roughly 1970. Figura made a large number of beautiful works in pewter, often in marine animal form, and this work is exemplary of his sought-after output. A fairly large piece, 38cm in width, it makes for a remarkable, quirky, and impressive centrepiece and piece of serveware, an unmissable addition to any dinner table.