A TOWN SO RICH IN CERAMICS, IT PAID ITS TAXES IN VASES!!
The last couple of years I have spent time in Campania, where the the town of Cerreto Sannita is known for its wondrous ceramics! I had the privilege of meeting one of the great master ceramists there, Elvio Sagnella, whose own showroom is in the grotto that housed the workplace of the esteemed great master, Nicola Giustiniani. I purchased some beautiful pieces from his son, who showed us around the grotto and pointed out the new look ceramics that he and his brother were creating- breaking away from centuries old patterns.
Deruta -Famous for its Majolica – photo from Pinterest
This day we went on a tour of a ceramic factory in Deruta, in Umbria. “Deruta is famous as a homeland of ceramics and pottery production among the most beautiful and precious in Italy. The cohesion between Deruta and its ceramics is indissoluble and it is the main characteristic of this little town. This production has its roots in in the most ancient past of Deruta, forging its own historical identity…. Official documents establish that ceramics of Deruta have been produced since the XIIIth century, although we have reasons to believe that activity such as this started one century earlier. Anyway, at the end of the XIIIth century, Deruta produced so many ceramics that it could pay the charges imposed by Perugia in vases instead of money…as early as 1358, Deruta exported more than one thousand vases to Assisi, the homeland of St. Francis….” excerpted from Wikipedia.
One of the many shops offering exquisite ceramics. Photo from Pinterest
We were invited to a private tour of one of the oldest, if not the oldest ceramic factory in continuous existence and operated and owned by the same family. The Grazia family has been producing fine majolica since 1500. I believe there were over six generations represented in the ancestral photo gallery.
A photo of all the workers one year and the owners.
After walking through room after room of magnificent ceramics, none of which I could afford (and if I could I would be afraid to use them) I came across a small simple white dish with a raised concentric heart design meant for dipping oil. Interestingly enough when I was in Campania, someone told me that only Americans dip Italian bread in oil and the restaurants in Guardia were mystified at first by the request.
The patterns were myriad. The intricate designs endless
This vase shape is a very old design.
A peek into the owner’s office!
I learned that majolica is really a process and all this time I thought it was a green leaves sort of pattern, so little did I know! That’s right, little!
To Be Continued…
Bill Ding and his band of clowns are the security patrol for this blog site. He is a favorite toy from the 50*s. By the way sometimes a blog is just an ego-maniacal stream of conscience.
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