How they are made

One of the characteristics of these ceramics is the mingling of old tradition and new techniques in the use of the various enamels and colours. The tradition of ceramic trading in Italy has been documented since 1400. It is thought, however, that the tradition has its origins much earlier amongst hermit monks who, having learned the art, passed it on to the local people.

The clay used in our Vietri sul Mare ceramics (from Ogliara, near Salerno) is the one which has been used of old and which results in a very non-porous finished product. It is a grey clay which becomes red after firing. 

The process of making these products is entirely by hand from the moulding of the clay to the drying, to the finishing, glazing and decorating (no production lines!). The enamels used for the dinnerware are entirely lead-free and are microwave and dishwasher-safe.

The ceramics are sometimes called "majolica" or "la maiolica" (in Italian) and the term "majolica" refers to a specific process that is used to create these ceramics using an opaque glaze and two firings.  Once the object is formed by the potter, it is fired in a kiln to become "biscotto" or "bisque ware".  Then the object is dipped into a bath of glaze, called "bianco", so that it can then be decorated with the final design.  After the second firing, we have the finished product.

Each piece is painted free-hand, so no one piece will be identical to another, even within a dinnerset. This is part of the charm of the product and the tradition. The painters work in silence, concentrating on their craft with a steady hand. As they work they often come up with new designs, which are then added to the already substantial collection.

The colours are taken from powdered mineral oxides (from the local region), dissolved in water. So, for example, the colour green used is derived from copper, blue from cobalt, brown from manganese, yellow from antimony. These colours are painted over a white enamel first used by Florentine sculptor Luca della Robbia in 1430. This enamel is mainly composed of sand and lead oxide which forms an opaque coating over which the colours are painted. Today this white enamel is bought from specialist factories which supply enamel to the highest of today’s health regulations: it has an extremely low lead content and is certified completely safe for continuous use as dinnerware, even when it is heated.

The series of pictures below show how the items are hand-painted. When we visited the factory, one of the artisans kindly allowed us to take these pictures of their craftmanship in the making.






Of course after painting the ceramics are then fired to preserve the colours.  Often, the firing process itself enriches the colours and some colours change considerably as this photo of a Vietri Blue Colander shows.

The factory where our ceramics are produced in Vietri sul Mare has two kilns to fire the ceramics.  One is electric and one gas fired.

The advantage of the electric kiln is the speed with which it reaches the desired temperature because it is small and the factory often uses this to speed up the process, although it does take some time at any rate.

The other, larger kiln on the right is gas fired and is used for large runs.