DETAILS

A blue patterned plate from Grottaglie, Puglia, southern Italy.

Around the rim, there is a double circle drawn with brown pigment on a white background, and small blue flowers (stars) are evenly spaced and embossed using a sponge.

This was a standard design representative of the region at the time, and was widely mass-produced throughout Puglia from the late 19th century to the first half of the 20th century.

Many examples still exist, and they have become visual memories that symbolize what is "Grottaglie-like."

Although the shapes and arrangements are semi-standardized at each workshop, subtle differences occur in the impression depending on the amount of pressure applied and how the pigment is applied, giving each piece its own unique look.

This is an iconic everyday pottery from southern Italy that has been popular since its creation and continues to be popular today.

righe e stelle - Blue Rosette Patterns by Sponge Stamping -

The decoration of repeatedly stamping blue rosettes (small flowers, or patterns that can also be seen as stars) using stamps made by cutting sponges into flower shapes is one of the iconic designs symbolizing the folk pottery of the Puglia region.

Since the mid-19th century, these rosette motifs have been produced in countless variations and have come to be known in Grottaglie as "righe e stelle" (lines and stars).

While the molds and arrangements became somewhat standardized within each workshop, the varying pressure of the stamp and the amount of pigment used create subtle differences in each impression, giving every single piece its own unique character.

Even today, this pattern continues to be used, remaining beloved in people's daily lives both then and now, as one of the decorative symbols of Southern Italy.

About Righe e Stelle

Robba Bianca

"Robba bianca," meaning "white things" in Italian, is a significant category in the ceramic history of Grottaglie, Puglia, in Southern Italy. It symbolizes the technological maturity and refinement of lifestyle culture since the late 16th century.

Its foundation lies in a production system connected to the Majolica technique, which involves applying an opaque white glaze containing tin oxide (tin-glaze) and completing the piece through two firings. However, unlike the ornate Majolica known for its painted decorations, Robba Bianca suppresses decorativeness, positioning itself as a regional and practical evolution that finds value in the form of the vessel itself and the texture of the white glaze.

The beauty of this style lies in the contrast between the strong red earth (terra rossa) nurtured by the Puglia land and the soft white glaze that embraces it. The warmth of the clay faintly perceived beneath the glaze layer, or the reddish-brown clay body that peeks through the rim and foot after years of use, quietly tells the story of this land's unique expression of white.

About Robba Bianca

LOCATION

Grottaglie, Puglia / Italy

Grottaglie, Puglia

Origin

The small town of Grottaglie in the Puglia region has long been known as the "Town of Ceramics." While pottery centers across Italy moved toward ornate Majolica ware, this town continued to produce honest, everyday pottery rooted in daily life, without following trends. Among these, the "Robba Bianca" vessels coated with white glaze and jars for storing grain and oil are iconic symbols of Grottaglie. Within their simple, understated appearance lies the inevitable beauty born from function and the strength of the earth. These forms, passed down through generations, blend seamlessly into modern spaces, supporting daily life with their quiet presence.