Siena has always been one of the main Italian tourist destinations because of its symbols and places of worship such as Piazza del Campo , the Torre del Mangia , the Palio , the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and Ricciarelli. Alongside the palaces, historic squares and immense cathedrals, the traditional ones are hidden Sienese pottery workshops . But what is their origin? Why do Sienese ceramics fascinate millions of people from all over the world? Let’s discover together the history of this ancient practice that is still handed down from generation to generation today.
Origin of Sienese ceramics
The artisans have started to create the wonderful ones Sienese ceramics centuries ago for reasons related to everyday life. These artifacts were in fact used in kitchens and canteens by people belonging to all social classes. Already at the time of the Etruscans, in Tuscany, artisans created valuable ceramics such as bucchero, (typical production of Chiusi characterized by thick walls decorated with plastic motifs in the classic black-gray color). And what about the Aretina Sealed? It is famous for its coral and red color between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD it became the most popular tableware in the whole empire.
Siena boasts a long and important tradition in the history of majolica. The processing of this type of pottery dates back to 1282. Already in this period, the pottery was intended for everyday use: jugs, bowls and vases for storage. To distinguish majolica ceramics it was copper green and manganese brown. From mid-fifteenth century , its production becomes rich and varied in both forms and decorations.
Towards the end of the nineteenth century the “petal back” decoration arrives (shapes of petals made on the back of the plates) but it is the Renaissance the turning point arrives: the decorative aspect begins to prevail over the functional one.
Today, artisans model ceramics for many uses and alongside production of white and blue majolica, they give life to modern tableware with innovative and creative shapes.
Our production
From Antica Siena you can find i classic motifs and the artistic reproductions (such as copper green, rust and blue), the grotesque and Renaissance decorations i, and many other reasons related to the history of Siena.
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Ours are unique pieces that embody the origins, tradition and techniques of Tuscan craftsmanship. Our ceramics I am the fruit of the passion we have for this art.
When creating our ceramics, we are inspired by traditional motifs of the past without renouncing research to evolution in decorations and techniques. The main objective of Antica Siena is in fact that of wisely combining the past with modernity and to highlight the most prestigious productions of Italian Renaissance ceramics which today, by now, can only be admired in museums.
