Before you close the deal of your life and pay an incredibly low price for what looks like a stunning piece of Deruta pottery, STOP and read these simple guidelines.
Stores are full of rubbish, believe me.
Lots of nice looking ceramic pieces which are machine stamped and sold as original hand made Italian Ceramics. Possibly from reputable regions, like Deruta.
Spotting a fake is possible and quite easy. Follow these simple steps.
1 - Turn the Italian ceramic piece you’re interested in upside down and make sure there is an unglazed area.
This area, usually a circle, shows the natural brownish orange color of the terracotta (bisque). The bisque is sometimes made of white grayish clay, often used for small pieces, but it’s still clearly visible.
Now you’ll be wondering why this detail is so important.
Let me remind you how the humble terracotta changes into a priceless Italian ceramic. Before the actual hand painting the artisan dips the terracotta deeply into a sieve containing fast drying liquid glaze. This fine powder will prevent the colours
from spreading and blurring into each other during the painting and will bond with the subsequent coloured glazes during the final firing.
The glaze however gets quite sticky during the firing. That is why the clever artist makes sure that his or her fine Italian ceramic pieces are not in touch during the firing and carefully removes the glaze from their base.
The damage would be otherwise irreversible.
2 - Touch the unglazed area. It must be rough.
If it is white and smooth then its not an original Italian ceramic, made with traditional materials and techniques.
Sometimes it is still possible to detect the marks of the long pincer the artisans use to glaze their pottery: it’s two tiny dots usually positioned near the rim of the pieces.
3 - Brush strokes must be visible.
Italian ceramics are always
hand painted and if you look at them closely you will be able to see the single stokes that contribute to the beauty and artistry of your piece.
You will never forget the emotion of a close look to a Renaissance portrait and will find it hard to believe that those colourful, lively characters are painted with no more than 4 or 5 colors.
Now you own the key tools to spot a fake.
If you are passionate about Italian ceramics, though, I have a suggestion for you which goes beyond technicalities.
My suggestion is: look at as many Italian ceramics as possible.
Browse Internet, read books, visit museums, go to exhibitions, visit the stores of your city and touch them. Your senses will grow accustomed to their patterns, their shapes, their look and feel. And in a few years your expertise will match your passion.
In the meantime if you wish to start your own collection of fine Italian ceramics, buy from a reputable dealer. Someone who is willing to tell you more about the piece than just its price, who is happy to spend some time to educate you, who knows the name of the artist and offers a clear return policy.
That is what we try to do at http://www.thatsarte.com, the web site I set up together with my best friend Manuela, also a lover of quality pottery.
About one year ago Manuela and I decided to step change our professional lives and turn our passion into a real work.
We spent quite a lot of time traveling around the best known Italian ceramic centers to choose the pieces of Dinnerware, Tableware and Decoration accents we most liked.
Tough life, you must think.
We collected more than 4,000 beautiful Italian ceramic pieces hand made by the most talented artists in Italy. Have a look at it. You’ll also find information on Italian ceramics history, tradition and making and a lot more. You will enjoy every minute of it. Click now http://www.thatsarte.com
I have a plate marked CITAVECCHIA TC1876. Any ideas as to where this might orignate from? Many thanks. S
We’d be happy to have a look at your Italian ceramic plate to find out more about that. Can you send us a picture of the plate (front and back)?
As the author of the only books written in English on the subject of Italian pottery marks and identification I offer my heartfelt gratitude for a magnificent effort in helping to promote an interest in, and appreciation of, Italian ceramics and its rich history. Your website is rich in practical, useful information that is easy to navigate through and totally enjoyable to read. It has always been my hope that English-speaking collectors would one day have the information they needed to educate themselves about an arena largely unknown to them largely because of the lack of written material in their language. Your website will go a long way in promoting the appreciation of the art.
If I may be of assistance to anyone seeking help in learning about a particular piece in their collection I do, in addition to my books. maintain a totally free forum that anyone can visit, ask questions or add comments.
http://xsorbit31.com/users5/italianpotterymarks1/
I wish you both the greatest of success.
I wonder if you can tell me what manufactureres made the Italian terracotta figurines of the 1960’s which were covered in a white glaze. They are usually very well modeled. There is one for sale on the Trocadero website I found by googling “Italian terra cotta figure” listed at $1,200.00 (32″) but they do not name a manufacturer.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
HELLO THERE
how can I find out if my little jug is of any age and especially if it is a cantigalli . I have attached some pics..
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u332/gwengeiser/DSCN3487.jpg
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u332/gwengeiser/DSCN3489.jpg
http://i517.photobucket.com/albums/u332/gwengeiser/DSCN3490.jpg
i will try the forum page recommended above as well. thanks gwen
I just found a vase in the classic Ricco style, but with swan handles. The bottom is labeled: Mari.e.c - Deruta Italy - 0902 or 0702. I’d love to send photo’s and get your opinion.
Thanks
hello! i just found a very elegant double vase with the marks M.S.P. surrounding a triangle and the words, HAND PAINTED IN ITALY. i read your advice on testing to see if this is a true piece of italian pottery and it passed the test. but now i am dying to know what M.S.P. and the triangle mean. can you help?
thanks!
with God’s amazing love,
carol
I have a set of I think 8 of these salad plates and one large dinner plate. It is stamped NOVE on the back MADE IN ITALY is stamped and 355 as well. What can you tell me bout the plates? I was given them from a friend who was going to toss them in the trash.
Hi, I have just bought a large leopard, about 20″ long. The name on a paw seems to be Favaro Cecchelle, but I am guessing the last letter. There is also what looks like a long flower over the name. Any ideas? He is not new, the lady was left him by an uncle, but I have no idea of the age.