When the Lenci factory was founded by Elena and Enrico Scavini in 1919 in Turin, the main focus was on the production of the very popular felt dolls. The Lenci company attacted talented and highly skilled designers and in 1928 production of ceramics began. The Lenci ceramics found a ready market for their excellent work.

The company produced a variety of pieces such as figurines, wall plaques, and pottery. Elena König Scavini who had had trained as a designer in Art School before her marriage, produced many of the designs herself and she attracted other famous designers to her studio, including Sandro Vacchetti, Giovanni Grande, Jacobi and others. Her remarkable talent in design is apparent in her lyrical and expressive pieces. It has been told that Walt Disney was so impressed by her designs that he tried to presuade her to come and work for him, but she refused. It has even been suggested that the Lenci style may have influenced the Disney cartoons, such as Fantasia and Bambi, which have a style that is evocative of Lenci figurines dating back to the 20's and 30's.

In the 1950’s the Lenci factory produced Disney figures under license, such as Bambi, Thumper, Peter Pan, Dumbo and Pinocchio. In 1964 production came to an end but the legacy lives on. Lenci ceramics are now highly prized collectors items.

2. A rare Lenci figurine "La Pera" attributed to Beltrami Nillo, of a woman sitting on a painted pear. It was sold on eBay in 2005 for $17,100