DETAILS
Ancient ceramic deep dish from Puglia, southern Italy
The milky glaze features a traditional blue star pattern.
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.
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.
LOCATION
Grottaglie, Puglia / ItalyGrottaglie, Puglia
Pottery