I still cannot believe it’s mine. But it’s here, on MY desk, in MY studio. It’s a real, authentic Arlecchino from Montelupo and a most beautiful one. A splendid piece of Tuscan ceramics, indeed.
There is this tiny Auction House not far from my place. I like to go there and have a look when they exhibit their pieces prior to an auction. I always find some little treasures buried among old furs and very expensive antique paintings.
Last time I went there I could not believe my eyes. The Arlecchino grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let it go. I HAD to try and place a bid, although I didn’t really hope I would be able to get it. I did instead!
I love Tuscan ceramics. They are so colorful, warm, “sunny” in a way.
I didn’t own antique pieces, though. It’s great to start with an Arlecchino.
As it happens, I recently wrote an article on the Arlecchini from Montelupo and their role in the history of Tuscan pottery. It brought me good luck.
I will think very carefully about my next subject for an article. Who knows what might happen…
Choosing a dinnerware set is no easy matter. Hundreds of different brands, designs, materials to choose from… and such a large amount of money involved in the purchase that a mistake would be much regretted.
Well, I cannot help you to make your choice. However, if you decide to stand out from the crowd and go for something really different and unique such as handmade Italian dinnerware, you’ll find some good pieces of information here.
What is Italian Dinnerware usually made of?
Italian dinnerware sets are usually made of ceramic, a word derived from the Greek word keramos, meaning “clay”. Commonly used, ceramic is a most general term, which can be applied both to porcelain and to pottery.
Continue reading ‘A quick guide to handmade Italian Dinnerware’
That is really a hard question to answer. We – I’m Italian you know! – have so many regional designs, deservedly popular thanks to their beauty and their century-old heritage.
However, I wish to try and answer this question, without claiming that this is an exhaustive list of all the best Italian Dinnerware patterns, of course. It’s just a list to help you out in the wide choice you might be confronted with.
1 - Classic Dinnerware patterns
I wish to mention here three designs, Raffaellesco, Ricco Deruta and Arabesco. They all originated in Deruta between the 15th and the 17th century. Their classic beauty makes them all time dinnerware sets, whose exquisite elegance and subtle refinement are never commonplace. Here is a short description.
Continue reading ‘What are the most popular Italian Dinnerware patterns?’
Last week a new friend, Anne, wrote a comment in our blog requesting some info on Cantagalli.
I found the post very intriguing for a number of reasons.
First of all I wondered why Cantagalli is so popular in UK and US, while he never reached the same star status here in Italy.
Secondly I was puzzled by the quantity of ceramic works marked Cantagalli that are available over the Internet.
Lastly it made me want to investigate on Cantagalli’s version of Della Robbia’s terracottas.
I made some research and I noticed that there is not much info handy on the subject on the web… So I went through my books and art magazines and I found some interesting facts.
That gave me the idea to reply to Anne’s question with an article that can be useful to collector’s who love the magic cockerel but do not know much about his father: Ulisse Cantagalli.
About Ulisse Cantagalli
Ulisse Cantagalli was a superb artist and an even better businessman.
Not much of him is known before 1878, when he took over the family factory in Florence and started to produce highly decorative Italian ceramics in the Renaissance style. At the time the taste for this kind of pottery was a very hot trend in the English speaking countries.
Continue reading ‘Cantagalli Pottery and the Magic Cockerel’
A visit to the Museum: Italian ceramics and much more…
The MIC – International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza – is reputed to be the world’s largest ceramic Museum and one of the liveliest art institutions in Italy.
Its collections provide the visitor with a complete overview of the history of Italian pottery and International ceramics, the evolution of pottery making techniques and the evolution of the visual ceramic art into figurative art, sculpture and design.
The collections encompass Italian ceramic works from the Middle Ages to the Present. A nice section displays the “functional” Italian pottery over time from the North to the South of the country: pieces molded for everyday use, whose features are strongly connected to their regional heritage.
Although Italian pottery is the core of the Museum’s holdings, most interesting collections from all over the world promote the understanding and appreciation of International ceramic art and history.
The Museum is namely proud to display important works from the Pre-Columbian America, the Classic Greece, the Roman Age, the Far and Middle East and the largest collection in Italy of Muslim and Hispano Moresque pottery. Continue reading ‘The International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza celebrates 100 years’
March 16 – June 30, 1008
Certaldo, Palazzo Pretorio
This is the Second Edition of a very successful exhibition, organized for the first time last year by the International Ceramic School La Meridiana and the Galleria Gulliver. It is held in Certaldo, a lovely town in Tuscany, not far from Florence and Siena.
The art works will be displayed in an outstanding location: the garden and the interior of Palazzo Pretorio, a very handsome building which could be in itself a reason for visiting Certaldo. The Palace is 1000 years old and it has been recently restored to its original condition. Its facade is richly decorated with ceramic coat of arms, two of them made by Della Robbia. In the interior there are beautiful frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli.
No better location could be chosen to highlight the close relationship between Ceramic Art and the Tuscany countryside, a timeless source of inspiration for ceramic artists.
Continue reading ‘ConCreta 2008 – International Exhibition of Ceramic Sculpture’
March 29 – May 11, 2008
Brescia – Italy
Sartori’s works are “earthenware ideas”. They have mysterious origins and appear to be completely uninfluenced by his heritage, the artistic traditions of his land, his experiences.
Looking at his ceramic sculptures, the first impression one gets is that they belong to the earth they are made of , so strict is the relationship between the artifact and the material. Just as if time had stopped and the material had become solid.
His organic and abstract shapes, along with his figures are the key characters of Sartori’s creative themes, such as “Meteors” and “Geologic Echos”.
Continue reading ‘Bruny Sartori – Italian Art Pottery’
In 711 a small army of North African Berbers invaded Spain and established an Iberian Islamic culture that would last for over 700 years.
This event was to make a major contribution to the development of art pottery in Europe.
Moors were great potters. Their techniques had traveled with them through North Africa to the Iberian peninsula, where they became well established, possibly as early as the 11th century.
They manufactured elaborate tin glazed pottery and metallic lusters which were still unknown in Europe. The success of their ceramics was immediate and soon they began to export them all over Europe.
Italian people were passionate about Hispano-Moresque pottery.
Local potters had never seen anything like that and wanted to investigate those innovative techniques. Collectors just loved them and ordered celebration plates, apothecary jars and tableware.
Continue reading ‘Loza dorada – The Hispano-Moresque Ceramics and the Origins of Italian Majolica’
We started this blog driven by our passion for Italian ceramics, a feeling we LOVE to share with other people (passion without sharing is such a waste, don’t you think so?).
Everything about this subject rouses our interest and stimulates us to research and learn and …share. We’re never tired: there is so much to say about Italian ceramics beyond technicalities and detailed descriptions.
Each piece, without exception, is the result of our history, culture, art and tradition. Nothing is more rewarding than meeting people who share our enthusiasm!
Can you imagine the surprise and excitement when we read a comment posted here by Walter Del Pellegrino? Walter and Karen Del Pellegrino are the authors of the first and most informative guides to the identification of Italian pottery written in English. Their handbooks are a MUST for collectors, antiques dealers and pottery lovers. They also maintain a dedicated Italian pottery forum where they assist people who wish to learn more about their Italian ceramics.
Continue reading ‘Sharing the same passion for Italian Ceramics’
Sometimes, when I have some leisure time – not very often I’m afraid – I like to explore the neighborhood of Viterbo where I have been living for the past 5 years. I must admit that I still need to learn a lot about this rich area known as Etruria. 
It is an untouched and charming area half way between Rome and Tuscany, where Etruscan and Roman heritage continue to live.
Well, as I said, I was driving on the Via Cassia when I decided to stop in Vetralla. My friend Mary Jane had told me about an old potter working there and I decided to pay him a visit. I’ll never thank her enough.
I had to stop a couple of times and ask for directions. I could not believe my eyes: the place I was looking for is a dark grotto on the hillside where the only light is from the doorway and a bare light bulb. Felice, the last “pilaro” (pot maker) in Vetralla, works there, just as his ancestors used to do.
Continue reading ‘Vetralla’s Last Potter’
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