The family of artisans from Deruta, Italy, which made this magnificent vase has for centuries created religious vessels for liturgical purposes.  In recent years, their workshop has reinterpreted the traditional forms and decorations of religious objects to create chic contemporary design pieces.

This flower design vase is entirely handmade in three complex stages.  In the first phase, once the basic shape of the object has been formed from the indigenous red clay of the region, highly ornate designs are engraved or incised by hand with a steel point onto the soft clay surface.  The engraved designs are patterned after decorative motifs of the Byzantine Empire and other ancient civilizations from the Mediterranean Basin. The object is then fired at a high temperature to create the hardened “biscuit” form.

In the second phase, the object is painted by hand with pigments that are made according to traditional recipes of minerals and natural binding materials.  The challenge for the artisans is to anticipate the final tones of the colors after the piece is fired in the kiln.  A clear liquid coating is then applied to the object and it is fired a second time in the kiln for an entire day.  This liquid, once fired, becomes a vitrified, impermeable, coating which protects and highlights the paint and the engraved designs.

The third and final stage is the most unique and complex.  A liquified form of a precious metal or metals  is expertly applied onto the unpainted surface of the vase.  In this case, 24 karat gold and copper have been used.  The vase is then fired in the kiln a third and final time.  This firing hardens the applied precious metal.  What results is an elegant, stylish and absolutely unique object which is a perfect representation of high style and traditional, time-honored, craftsmanship.