1910 Vini Spumanti Ajmar Art Nouveau World Map Wine Advertising Broadside

A striking c. 1910 art-nouveau chromolithograph map of the world advertising Vini Spumanti Ajmar, an Italian fortified wine. The image depicts a red-haired woman bursting forth from a double hemisphere map of the world, champagne coupe raised in a toast. The image promotes Spumanti Ajmar's global reach (esportazione mondiale). Two holes appear at top center, where the piece was originally intended to be hung for display in cafes, restaurants, and wine shops.

Ajmar

L. Ajmar was a winemaker from Nissa Monferrato, a province of Asti, in Piedmont, Italy. Advertising for Ajmar appears from the late 19th century until about the 1950s. Trade directories suggest Ajmar remained active until at least 1959.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography, sometimes called oleography, is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Oftentimes, the process would start with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired product. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it emerged as the dominant method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography produced made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda imagery.

Publication History and Census

The map is undated, but based upon the style and printing method, it can only have appeared in the first 10 years of the 20th century. No lithographer, publisher, or engraver is identified. We note one example in the collections of the Paesaggi Vitivinicoli Di Langhe - Roero E Monferrat. Scarce.