Italian Handcrafts:
The Engraved Pottery of Ferrara
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The accomplishments of the Este family and the coats of arms of the Rangoni, Bentivoglio, Bevilacqua, Romei, Contrari and Sacrati families and other such themes defined the decorations of many bowls, plates and tankards, evidently inspired by the most distinguished nobility of Ferrara at the time, even if the same heraldic motifs were also found and used on more common tables.
Production Area
Italian sgraffito pottery developed mainly in the northern regions, with certain differences according to time and place, from the fourteenth century until the end of the sixteenth century and beyond.
It was widely produced in Emilia, most notably in Ferrara.
This was the most active city and it produced the finest quality work, as seen in the remains of dishes and pots that have been found.
The Products
The engobed sgraffito ceramics were coloured with metal oxides, conferring rust and green effects, and then glazed during a second firing.
The forms were simple at first, including plates, bowls, dishes and tankards, although more complex objects such as cups and inkwells began to appear later, often decorated with contoured figurines of people and animals.