INSIDE THE LABORATORY

A glimpse into where the magic is made!  

The high-quality style of ceramics we create are renowned worldwide. Although, to achieve such distinctive products, the utmost care must be taken throughout all stages of production. It should be noted that our ceramics, being entirely artisanal, sometimes come with little imperfections. These however, are not to be considered defects, but rather evidence of a unique and unrepeatable product - an expression of research and artistic expertise.

We will now explain the four stages all our handmade pieces go through to achieve its quality. Each piece requires time, precision, and an artistic imagination to create one-of-a-kind pieces. 

HAND-SHAPING:
Hand-shaping is the oldest ceramics process and is often depicted on TV and film. The master ceramist shapes an amorphous mixture of clay and water into the desired shape, using special tools to refine the form. 

WHEEL-SHAPING:
The shape can be refined on a lathe, a tool with a rotating plate in the centre where the clay is positioned and shaped. The wheel has a pedal situated underneath which controls the rotation speed. The person who uses the lathe, shapes the clay with his or her hands, creating the desired product, be it a vase, a jug, or anything else we offer. Our master ceramic artist, Raffaele Apicella, often speaks about how much times have changed since he first started. When he first began, there was no electric pedal to control the speed of the wheel, it was all manual and his leg would get very tired. As a result he now has one leg which is shorter than the other. This process is a very traditional way to create our unique masterpieces! 

DRYING:
Once shaped, the objects must be dried naturally, or rather "desiccated." The water inside the piece must be evaporated, which occurs naturally by exposing the objects to the open air for a few days. The time that is needed to complete the drying process changes according to the weather conditions and size of the item. 

COOKING:
Once dried, the resulting object is placed in a powerful oven and cooked at a temperature of around 1,000 degrees Celsius achieving the granite-like shape and texture known as "terracotta" that we know and love. Next, the terracotta is glazed, that is, dipped in a white liquid known as enamel, then left to dry and then decorated with brushes and colours suitable exclusively for decorating our ceramics. 

Once the decoration is complete, the piece is placed back in the oven and cooked for about 10 hours until it reaches a temperature of approximately 980°C (1860°F).
The oven is then slowly cooled to prevent the pieces inside from cracking.

The unique pieces that emerge from our ovens involve clay, colours, water, heat, and most importantly of all, the artist's creativity. These are the simple elements that create our entirely handmade ceramic pieces!  

REMEMBER:
All of our pieces are dishwasher safe! For best results, use a gentle detergent that’s non-fragrant, non-citrus, and non-abrasive. To help protect your dishes, make sure they’re not touching during the wash and avoid overloading the dishwasher. Handle delicately and with care, and our dinnerware will behave!