Go Back
Ceramics History
Deruta has been the cradle of Italian ceramics since the XII century. Its valued hand-made pieces are present in museums across the globe and its best production often becomes an antique in a matter of years, hammered at high prices for the pleasure of museums and amateurs alike in the worlds’ most prestigious auction houses.
The 50 or so manufacturers and 200 front shops today produce about 30% of all Italian pottery.
For centuries ceramics manufacturers have continued to work in the traditional style; hand-making their ware and following the designs and patterns of their ancestors. The modern kilns were only introduced in recent times; computerization has made it possible to fire the pottery at highly controlled temperatures, reducing the waste to almost zero. Uncooked pottery and pigments are highly unstable and ceramists of the past suffered heavily from misfiring and discolouration.
Apart from this and the recent introduction of the full palette of colours also for ceramists, which now allows for the introduction of more modern designs and innovations, most shops still work in the traditional style with skills that have been passed from father to son over the centuries.
When buying Deruta be careful of imitations though; the best and most reliable shops will always guarantee that their production is from Deruta but, given its success, copies and imports from third countries proliferate.
The newsletter DerutaNews (www.derutanews.it) is especially intended to provide an important information vehicle to ensure you buy guaranteed Deruta ware and learn about Deruta and ceramics history.
If you decide to visit this beautiful and most interesting town, ask the shop owner about their production facilities. In most situations they will be happy to show you around their workshop. It is an unforgettable experience to see the turner at work and the artist working on a pattern to create shape and beauty out of what was, at the beginning, a handful of plain moulded earth.
Go Back 
Software Engineering by
Infostroy Ltd.
