The famous Italian majolica decorator Francesco Xanto Avelli was one of the first to sign and date his pieces, a measure prompted by a dispute with his employers at the workshop in Urbino. According to a legal document, he had tried to improve his position in the workshop – in vain, as it turned out – by rallying other employees to demand higher wages. Xanto started signing his work in order to gain more control over his products.
Francesco Xanto Avelli
Rovigo circa 1487 - na 1542
