Have you planned a sun-soaked Amalfi getaway this year, or a trip Venice Biennale To find the best of contemporary ArtIt’s fair to say that we have a romantic notion of an Italian summer. The expressive, colorful appeal of painted Italian ceramics is equally aligned with this idea, and embodies the vibrancy of the country. Culture and design tradition. From hand-painted plates made by artisans in Vietri sul Mare and Deruta to traditional Puglian splatterware and marbleware, certain techniques and styles are passed down through the generations and have deep ties to specific regions and towns.
Visiting this workshop in Italy Source Ceramics is a wonderful way to find unique and special pieces with undoubtedly sentimental value. However, it does find room, and allows for weight in your suitcase which can be a challenge (something I’ve undertaken in the past, to safely get home a set of four pasta plates bought at Vietri’s). The following four stockists offer a small taste of the diversity of Italian ceramic crafts, whilst making the work of these artisans more accessible to us in the UK.
Abasque’s curated offering is definitely on the more luxurious end of the spectrum, but also ranges from vintage to highly eclectic. mid century Restaurant plates, to wonderfully edgy trompe l’oeil pieces by Studio Este Ceramiche, operating since the 18th century. Majolica is one of the most famous Italian pottery styles, and Abasque has some striking examples.
