Majolica Art

Deruta Majolica

Article and images kindly provided by by Boccini ceramics > Deruta - Majolica

Deruta identifies itself with the manufacturing of artistic majolica. The most ancient evidence regarding this expression of art da tes back to 12 August 1290, and testifies a payment "in kind" against "unam saumam vasorum". That was the archaic period during which objects of common usage were manufactured: beakers, basins, bowls, "panate", meagrely decorated, mainly with geometric and animal patterns. The prevailing colours are green "ramina" and manganese brown . during the subsequent centuries majolicas from Deruta reached the highest splendour and expanded in the Sixteenth Century in the main marketplaces, not only the Italian ones. Artists such as Giacomo Mancini ("El Frate" that is "The Friar") and Francesco Urbini realized works of of prominence. Display plates, amatory chalices, straw-botiomed chalices, nobiliary armorial bearings show a range of patterns with female characters, mythological scenes, battles and Holy images. There are other several, different and original patterns, popular in that period: floral, zoomorphous. Grotesque, floral curls, peacock's-feather's eye, crown-of-thorns, wolf-tooth and petal-back like imbrications.

I n the XVIII century there was a period of crisis during which - nevertheless - a reaction was represented by Gregorio Caselli, who established a factory of fine majolica, in imitation of porcelain, in Deruta. After the Unity of Italy a meaningful recovery was especially due to the activity of Angelo Micheletti, Alpinolo Magnini, Davide Zipirovic, whilst Ubaldo Grazia becomes well known for his "talent in copying" In the present days the high level of artistic production is to be found by visiting the "living museum" stretching across the streets of Deruta, made of workshops, laboratories, factories, show rooms, where you can attend freely to the various steps of the production process. That is a reality to be found in the territory, as well, such as Ripabianca, known for the manufacturing of vases, oil jars, pitchers and pottery jugs.

Deruta art today:
The maestro Luigi Boccini and his son Nicola Boccini are Italian artists that reproduce faithfully in ceramic the classical masterpieces from the '500,'600 and the '800. Luigi Boccini started the family business after a period of training in an old craft factory in Deruta, to exploit to his own natural talent for drawing and ceramics decoration, especially in the human figure.. The Maestro Luigi Boccini likes to reproduce on ceramic subcjects from "il Perugino" and "Botticelli" (from whom he has a wide collection of prints) on plates, vases, tiles, or panels from various size. The elegance of the stroke and the beauty of the colors he uses for these reproductions, are beautifully uncomparable. The variety of the themes, painted and decorated, and their own singularity made them as a collection pieces. Luigi Boccini works only with three colors typical from the old tradition of Deruta: blu, dark green and bright orange. From these colors he obtains all the gradations giving the impression that more colors are presents in the composition. Nicola Boccini, the son is professor of ceramics at the Deruta school and is both gifted with classical ceramics as well as experimental. Both won several award. The images on this page are provided by Boccini.

You can see more at Deruta - Majolica.us