{"product_id":"contrade-dinnerware-from-siena-rhino","title":"Contrade Dinnerware From Siena: Rhino","description":"\u003ch4\u003eDESCRIPTION\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHand-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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSelva 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eContrade 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Charger 13\" · Dinner plate 11.5\" · Pasta\/soup bowl 10\" · Salad plate 9\" · Dessert plate 7.5\"\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hand-painted Italian majolica\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMade in:\u003c\/strong\u003e Siena, Tuscany\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWorkshop:\u003c\/strong\u003e Staccioli\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePattern:\u003c\/strong\u003e Selva (Rhino) — rhinoceros at the base of an oak tree\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeritage:\u003c\/strong\u003e The 17 contrade of Siena and the Palio, run in the Piazza del Campo since 1656\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCare:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dishwasher safe · Food safe · Not microwave or oven safe\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSold as:\u003c\/strong\u003e individual pieces, by size\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMixes with:\u003c\/strong\u003e all 16 other Contrade designs; sits well with plain white and with Siena and Orvieto Deruta patterns\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is a contrada?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy is the rhino under a tree?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSelva means \"the forest.\" The contrada's crest places the rhinoceros at the base of an oak, and the district's traditional trade was weaving.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I get a different contrada?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes. All 17 designs are produced, in eight pieces each. Call Biordi at (415) 392-8096 and we will order the district you want.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this a good Italian wedding gift?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this a good housewarming or hostess gift?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes. 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy buy Italian gifts from Biordi rather than other retailers?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBiordi 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan this be customized or personalized?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eContrade 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eArtisan Story\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSelva — the Rhino\u003c\/strong\u003e — 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStaccioli, Siena (Tuscany)\u003c\/strong\u003e — 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bianco \u0026 Nero","offers":[{"title":"Charger Plate 13\" - Rhino","offer_id":45011831488563,"sku":"mxe1791524849331","price":80.6,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Dinner Plate 11.5\" - Rhino","offer_id":45011831521331,"sku":"ljc1791524849332","price":85.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Pasta\/Soup Bowl 10\" - Rhino","offer_id":45011831554099,"sku":"lsu1791524849333","price":86.9,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Salad Plate 9\" - Rhino","offer_id":45011831586867,"sku":"tps1791524849334","price":75.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Dessert Plate 7.5\" - Rhino","offer_id":45011831619635,"sku":"ewr1791524849335","price":63.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0670\/3490\/6675\/files\/contrade-dinnerware-from-siena-rhino_1.jpg?v=1791524854","url":"https:\/\/www.zelquvra.com\/products\/contrade-dinnerware-from-siena-rhino","provider":"My Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}