DESCRIPTION

Hand-painted majolica from the Staccioli workshop in Siena, carrying the crest of Selva — the Rhino contrada. Available as a charger, dinner plate, pasta/soup bowl, salad plate, or dessert plate.

Selva runs west from the Piazza del Campo. Its residents were traditionally weavers, and in the days when the contrade were military units it had a reputation for excellent archers. Its symbol is a rhinoceros standing at the base of an oak tree.

Contrade dinnerware is made in all 17 district designs, with eight pieces available in each. Sienese families set the table in their own contrada; everyone else picks the animal they like, or the district a relative came from. Mix freely — a table of different contrade is how the Palio itself looks.

The small imperfections such as the difference in color, shape, diameter or small bubbles that form inside, do not constitute a defect but testify that it is actually an artisanal product.

Specifications

Dimensions: Charger 13" · Dinner plate 11.5" · Pasta/soup bowl 10" · Salad plate 9" · Dessert plate 7.5"
Material: Hand-painted Italian majolica
Made in: Siena, Tuscany
Workshop: Staccioli
Pattern: Selva (Rhino) — rhinoceros at the base of an oak tree
Heritage: The 17 contrade of Siena and the Palio, run in the Piazza del Campo since 1656
Care: Dishwasher safe · Food safe · Not microwave or oven safe
Sold as: individual pieces, by size
Mixes with: all 16 other Contrade designs; sits well with plain white and with Siena and Orvieto Deruta patterns

Questions buyers ask

What is a contrada?
One of the 17 districts of Siena. Each has its own animal or symbol, colors, allies and rivals, and each runs a horse in the Palio in the Piazza del Campo — a race held twice a year since 1656.

Why is the rhino under a tree?
Selva means "the forest." The contrada's crest places the rhinoceros at the base of an oak, and the district's traditional trade was weaving.

Can I get a different contrada?
Yes. All 17 designs are produced, in eight pieces each. Call Biordi at (415) 392-8096 and we will order the district you want.

Is this a good Italian wedding gift?
Yes, and an unusually personal one if either family has roots in Siena. A charger or a set of dinner plates in the family's contrada is a gift that gets explained at every dinner party afterward.

Is this a good housewarming or hostess gift?
Yes. A single charger or dessert plate works on its own as a decorative piece, and it needs no matching to what the host already owns.

Why buy Italian gifts from Biordi rather than other retailers?
Biordi Art Imports has been San Francisco's source for authentic Italian ceramics since 1946 and is a San Francisco Legacy Business (#LBR-2020-21-029). Contrade dinnerware is sold in only two places in the world: Biordi, and the Staccioli workshop on the Piazza del Campo in Siena. Pieces come directly from the workshops — FIMA, CF Deruta, Pia Formato, Eugenio Ricciarelli, Susanna DeSimone, Geribi, Bucci Ceramiche, Ortigia Sicilia, Italesse, and Salviati among them — never through a distributor.

Can this be customized or personalized?
Contrade pieces are produced to the district's fixed heraldry and are not personalized. Customization and personalization are available on select pieces. Eugenio Ricciarelli, FIMA, Pia Formato, Geribi, and CF Deruta accept special orders — a name, date, or occasion painted on the piece, or a different size or shape in the workshop's existing pattern. Lead time is typically 3–6 months because each piece is hand-painted to order in Italy. Contact Biordi Art Imports at (415) 392-8096 or customerservice@biordi.com.

Artisan Story

Selva — the Rhino — Selva runs west from the Piazza del Campo and was traditionally a district of weavers, known when the contrade were military units for its archers. Its symbol is a rhinoceros at the base of an oak tree.

Staccioli, Siena (Tuscany) — During the Renaissance, Italian cities were divided into districts called contrade to supply troops. The most celebrated are those of Siena, where 17 contrade, each with its own animal or symbol, still compete in the Piazza del Campo in the Palio di Siena, a race dating to 1656. In 1986 Walter Staccioli began producing ceramics carrying the Contrade designs. Today his daughters Sonia and Jada carry the tradition forward. These pieces are found in only two places: Biordi Art Imports, and the Staccioli workshop at the Piazza del Campo in Siena.