Culture

Everything You Need to Know About Italian Pottery in 2025

by: Ashley Reut

Published on Jan 22nd 2025

If you’re looking into starting a new hobby, consider the age-old beauty of Italian pottery. A trip to Italy or even to your local antique store allows you the chance to begin collecting some of this art.

The colorful and often intricate designs are easy to spot, but they also provide plenty of inspiration for you to get into crafting yourself. Whether you’re starting small with air-dry clay at home or exploring pottery for beginners via books, videos and classes, you’ll soon fall in love with Italian pottery.

Beyond just enjoying the visual appeal, there’s a rich history to Italian pottery, like much else in the country. A surface-level appreciation is more than enough, though there’s plenty to delve into. From starting your own collection of Italian pottery or getting hands-on and crafting your own, it can be a fun new hobby for you.

Plus, according to Harvard, having a hobby is great for your mood, health and overall happiness. So go ahead and study ancient art or roll up your sleeves and imitate it next time you’re on the pottery wheel.

book COOKING classes near you

Learn top cooking techniques, tips and tricks
Use fresh ingredients to create flavorful dishes
Led by top-rated and esteemed chef instructors

$55 | PER PERSON STARTING AT $55/PERSON

book a virtual team building activity

Join fun team building games from anywhere
Strengthen coworker bonds and boost morale
Team up in online trivia, escape rooms and more

$15 | PER device STARTING AT $15/device

book PAINT AND SIP near you

Unwind with a fun creative, social activity
Paint your canvas with step-by-step instructions
Events led by talented painting teachers

$29 | PER PERSON STARTING AT $29/Person

Italian Pottery History

You’re probably aware of the lengthy history of Ancient Rome and Italy in general, so the fact that Italian pottery history is rich and storied should come as no surprise. Art has always been important there, whether in the form of architecture, hand-chiseled marble statues or intricately painted frescoes.

Learn Italian Pottery Hands-On

Italian Pottery classes — *Pottery class (via Classpop!)*

Explore the arts wherever you are from art history to pottery making and creating your own pieces. Pottery classes in Minneapolis, pottery classes in San Francisco or pottery classes in Chicago are a great place to start learning techniques and crafting your own stunning tableware in a classic Italian pottery style.

There’s no shortage of inspiration for pottery ideas thanks to these maiolica and they might even come in handy for summer hosting.

Early Italian Pottery

Dating back to the 1350s, Italians were known to craft maiolica, named after the Spanish island of Mallorca, where Spanish-made lusterware loaded onto ships made a pit stop on its way to Italy.

These pieces, made in shades of brown and green, evolved over the years as access to new and different glazes and colors made them ever more brilliant. Interestingly, this art form didn’t reach peak popularity until nearly 100 years after it was first created, and it’s still created to this day.

As the popularity of Italian pottery spread, small towns across the country became famous for their unique versions and exceptional quality. Two main examples of these towns that crafted Italian pottery were Deruta, near Perugia, and Montelupo just outside of Florence. Located on riverbanks where the soil is naturally clay-rich, it was natural that Italian pottery would flourish here.

By the sixteenth century, maioliche towns began to export their art to other parts of Italy as well as other countries. It evolved from being simply art to having its place in religious houses, secular buildings and even as tableware for wealthy families.

By the time the seventeenth century came around, the demand for these maiolica pieces had begun to decline. Years of exporting led to competition from neighboring artisans in France and Germany, while Oriental and English porcelain gained popularity and was considerably more affordable. Other ceramics took over at the time too, as the demand for these cheaper materials rose.

The ceramics vs pottery conversation is a short one: pottery is ceramics, but not all ceramics is pottery. Ultimately what could be described as an acute market crisis meant that local artists were no longer creating these Italian pottery pieces.

The art form began to dwindle until only a handful of artisans remained. Efforts were made to create a resurgence, but largely this type of Italian pottery exists only in small numbers now.

Types of Italian Pottery

*Italian ceramics evolved with technology (via Canva)*

Through the ages, these maiolica pieces changed, but from day one, they were primarily jugs, though similar items like bowls and pitchers were common too.

What defined these works of art, at least in the beginning, was their characteristic hues of copper green and manganese brown. As detailed above, what started as comparatively basic designs in just two shades morphed over the years into much more complex designs that reflected art, religion and culture.

Advancements in technology allowed a rainbow of colors and a new glazing pottery method protected these works of art for years to come. Traditional motifs changed as the years drew on, evolving from gothic-influenced floral styles to Renaissance-inspired depictions of the human body.

As the styles changed, they told a story of the time in which they were created.

This is particularly useful if you’re studying Italian pottery or wish to estimate the time period an antique find is from. Biblical figures and scenes were a popular theme, along with mythological figures and scenes from history. This style of Italian pottery is known as istoriato, which means historiated maiolica.

While the Romans certainly kept written records, life reflects art (and vice versa) so these Italian pottery pieces were another means to record what was happening at the time.

As popular designs changed from floral motifs to biblical figures, they further morphed into grotesques. This elaboration was especially popular at the time as famous artist Raphael painted grotesques in the loggia of the Vatican. Today, this style is known instead as Raffaellesco.

Fast forward to Italian pottery today and all the tools of modern art are available. New materials are available for adding colorful designs, glazes or even the material that is sculpted, which in turn can lower the cost. Inspiration comes from far and wide, but some Italian pottery masters strive to create traditional-ish designs.

Modern Italian Pottery Brands

Italian Pottery Outlet

A quick Google search can overwhelm you with ancient and modern Italian pottery brands alike. A trip abroad is sure to provide you with ample time and opportunity to seek out some real treasures, but if you live in the United States and can’t travel, the Italian Pottery Outlet is a great source.

Three brothers who grew up in Puglia but emigrated to the United States made a business out of importing these handmade treasures. Browse their website for the latest kiln-fired goods to elevate your space.

VIETRI

The VIETRI collection is a hugely popular and widely recognized style of Italian pottery that’s relatively widely available in the United States and abroad. You might find their trademark bright blue fish tableware for sale in the top stores, but it’s worthwhile to attempt to make your own if you feel confident in hand-building pottery.

Modern Italian pottery and other art forms, like hand-blown glass, are still valuable and highly coveted. Pieces both large and small make great keepsakes from your travels, but they’re also worthwhile pottery painting ideas to emulate.

Luxury Retailers

Many high-end retailers offer quality Italian pottery goods, like Bloomingdales or Anthropologie, but you too can purchase directly from the source. Aldo Londi, Piero Fornasetti or Giovanni DiSimone are all accomplished artisans in the Italian pottery space.

Italian Pottery FAQs

What Are the 4 Types of Pottery?

To a beginner, pottery might seem like the all-encompassing term for clay goods, but there are actually four types of pottery, not just in Italian pottery.

Earthenware is typically red-ish orange and includes things like terracotta pots and bricks.
Stoneware is strong and dense and usually ends up in a soft gray or beige color. It’s great for things like tableware.
Ball clay is very flexible, making it a good choice for things like mugs, vases or plates.
Porcelain is a white, finely-powdered clay that dries into a hard surface for things like fine china.

What Is the Famous Italian Ceramic Company?

There isn’t just one famous Italian ceramic company that’s more known than others, but some of the more ancient and well-established businesses like Medici Porcelain or Grazia Deruta have been perfecting their craft for generations.

What Italian Town Is Famous For Ceramics?

While there are certainly more than a few famous towns for Italian pottery and ceramics, historically the town of Deruta is known for ceramics. Located in Perugia in the heart of Umbria, it’s a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. Faenza is not far away and also enjoys a rich and lengthy history with Italian pottery.

Even in a local store, Italian pottery is some of the most easily identified and eye-catching. While that might sound good, it also means that there are tons of companies making cheap copies of historic work that should cost a pretty penny. The valuable pottery marks on the bottom of a piece tell its story and authenticate it against the fakes.

There’s nothing wrong with finding inspiration in this storied art form for your own creations, but it’s nice to also pay some special attention and care to the many generations of crafters that paved the way.

To learn even more, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!