Tuscan character / Objects
Montelupo, colour takes shape.
A maiolica is viewed from the edge, then from the centre.
In front of a decorated plate, one often looks for the central figure. We suggest starting at the edge: following its rhythm and observing how the decoration accompanies the form.
Before the decoration.
Maiolica requires a precise sequence: preparing and shaping the clay, drying, first firing, glaze, drawing and a new firing. The painted surface is the result of earlier decisions. Curvature gathers a motif; the ground supports the colour; the edge sets a conclusion.
An object, up close.
Looking at the profile also helps us understand where the edge rises, how the depth changes, where the design comes to an end. This is ceramics’ place in our world: a presence to be known in detail. A mark, a proportion or a variation in tone can hold the gaze.