DESCRIPTION A stackable bowl in plain white from IDEART in Castelli, Abruzzo. No pattern, no trim — just the form and the glaze, thrown by hand by Antonio Di Francesco. An all-white bowl from a workshop known for hand-painting is a deliberate choice. It is the piece that lets painted dinnerware do the talking, and it stacks, which most hand-thrown ceramics do not do well. Made in Castelli, the town Emilio Biordi came from before founding Biordi Art Imports in San Francisco in 1946. 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 Material: Hand-thrown Castelli ceramic, white glaze Made in: Castelli, Abruzzo Workshop: IDEART — Antonio Di Francesco Pattern: None — all white Heritage: Castelli, in the Apennines below the Gran Sasso, and the home town of Biordi founder Emilio Biordi Care: Hand-wash recommended · Food safe · Not dishwasher, microwave or oven safe Sold as: individual Mixes with: every painted pattern Biordi carries — Deruta, Castelli, Faenza, Sicilian Questions buyers ask Do they actually stack?Yes — the form is made to nest, which is unusual for hand-thrown ceramic and useful in a small kitchen. Why buy a plain white bowl from a hand-painting workshop?Because painted dinnerware needs somewhere to rest. A white bowl in the same clay and the same glaze base sits correctly alongside painted Castelli and Deruta pieces in a way that a mass-produced white bowl does not. Can it go in the dishwasher?Hand-washing is recommended. It is food safe but should not go in the dishwasher, the microwave or the oven. Is this a good Italian wedding gift?Yes, as a stack of four or six. It is the practical half of a registry that is otherwise all pattern. Is this a good housewarming or hostess gift?Yes, and the safest choice if you have no idea what the host 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). Pieces are bought directly from the Italian workshops that make them — FIMA, CF Deruta, Pia Formato, Eugenio Ricciarelli, Susanna DeSimone, Geribi, Bucci Ceramiche, Ortigia Sicilia, Italesse, and Salviati among them. Nothing comes through a distributor. Can this be customized or 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 [email protected]. Artisan Story White Castelli ceramic — The same clay and glaze the Castelli workshops paint on, left undecorated. IDEART, Castelli (Abruzzo) — IDEART is the Castelli workshop of Antonio Di Francesco, who works in the shadow of the Gran Sasso, shaping the same earth that occasionally wobbles his wheel. Castelli has been one of Italy's most celebrated ceramic towns for centuries, and it is the town Emilio Biordi came from — the founder of Biordi Art Imports.
