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# 81 JULY 18 , 2016
# 81 juLY 18 , 2016
read more about #Italian Handcrafts
ITALIAN HANDCRAFTS:
Ceramics from the
Reggio Calabria province
By Camera di commercio di Reggio Calabria with Unioncamere
The production of artistic ceramics in the province of Reggio Calabria
and, more broadly, across
the whole region, is one
of the most ancient and
upcoming local traditions.
Thanks to the perseverance of skilled ceramists, coupled with the resourcefulness of capable
young craftsman, it stands
today as one of those ancient crafts whose origins,
techniques and traditions,
handed down from father
to son, are rooted in a distant past. In wider terms,
the first terracotta artefacts
date from the Neolithic
period and were found in
Japan.
ghbouring areas, as well
as in the regional capital.
Traditional production is
also found in the towns of
Squillace (Cosenza) and
Gerocarne (Vibo Valentia).
It is worth pointing out
that most Calabrian potters, thanks to their appreciation and preservation
of ancient pottery techniques, have been able to
forge a unique and traditional art, characterised by
numerous popular and highly praised artefacts, which are often the subject of
symbolism and rituals.
Through the use of modern technology, other
skilled ceramists, by functionally and stylistically
transforming traditional
objects, have managed to
combine modernity and
tradition to launch the
production of a series of
products taken from popular repertoire.
Other ancient clay working centres were Syria,
Mesopotamia, China and
ancient Greece. Indeed, it
is easy to see how this geographical area has had
a considerable influence
throughout the Mediterranean basin, including the
Calabria region.
Again, the production of
artefacts from these cenIn Calabria, the main cen- tres is strongly marked by
tres of artisan pottery pro- the influence of Hellenistic
duction are in the provin- tradition and culture, as
ce of Reggio Calabria, well as by Byzantine and
particularly in the towns Muslim methods during
of Seminara, Gerace, Ba- the Middle Ages.
gnara Calabra and nei-
Many Calabrian ceramic
items are the reproduction
of objects used by the ancient Greek potters, such
as those discovered in
the necropolis, with their
mysterious votive and ritual significance. Of these,
crockery, in particular, are
the artefacts that are most
often revived and reinvented by local artists.
Alongside
vase
production, there is, of course, a wide range of other
objects varying in shape,
composition and use.
Production stages
Ceramic (from the Greek
“kèramos” meaning clay)
is an inorganic compound
material, malleable in its
natural state, which undergoes various processes
before taking on the shape desired by the ceramist. Ceramics production
is extremely vast, with the
most unique shapes and
various uses.
Among the functional artefacts produced, one
should mention construction materials (bricks,
roof tiles, funnels), coatings for walls and floors and
crockery.
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