Bidspirit auction | ITALOIL (1-)

ITALOIL (1-) - Enamel sign, convex, stenciled and lithographed, Fiume/IT 1926, Ø 60 cm / Ø 23.6 in, Smalteria Bassano, the flames from the rapid journey beat against the stylized radiator. The oil itself was sourced from the refinery in Fiume (Rijeka) in what is now Croatia. It was the center of political and nationalist conflicts, especially during the so-called “Fiume Conflict” (1919–1920), before it came under Italian control and was exploited economically by Italy. A rarity that is one of the most popular motifs in Italian petrol advertising.