If you love the idea of adding colorful elements to your kitchen or dining room but are not sure how to do so, you may not need to look any further than pottery. Italian pottery is bright, beautiful to look at and highly functional. This is makes it a great option for people who want to decorate but don't want to choose items that will just sit around gathering dust.
Pottery has been made for thousands of years. At first, finding a way to use local materials in such a way that they were waterproof and durable was important to many cultures. It was only a matter of time before we found ways to decorate them and turn functional items into works of art. Pottery items are glazed and then placed near a heat source so that the true colors of the glaze can come out and so that the patterns will not wash away when a piece is exposed to water.
You may want to look at different areas of Italy since color schemes and decorative elements can vary quite a bit from region to region. If you love the idea of a specific motif you can collect only those pieces or you could group different pieces together according to what color they are and what images are used to form the pattern.
One thing that makes pottery from Italy so recognizable is the bright color schemes that are used. Some pieces that originate from other parts of the world may use pale, diluted colors but Italian items tend to be much more strongly colored. Yellow is a popular color and is used as both an accent color and a background color depending on the decorating scheme.
Some collectors choose to feature a specific region or village in their collections. A collection of Tuscan pieces may look very different than one that features only pottery items that were made in Umbria or Abruzzo. If you are considering starting your collection in this way it may be worthwhile to read up a bit on each area and look at pictures of the items created there so that you know which appeal to you most.
Some individuals may want to add strongly colored items to their collections but may not know how to do so without making the collection compete with items around it. If you are concerned about that, look for pieces that are colored to compliment your other decorative elements. For example, pulling an accent color out of a small decorative element will help keep your collection looking like it was always meant to be there.
If authenticity is something that is important to you then building your collection may involve more research than if you simply want the look. Many pieces are being imported from Asia or other areas rather than coming directly from Italy. You may want to make sure you are dealing with reputable websites when shopping for pottery items.
Many people worry about damaging their pieces and so do not use them as often as they may want to. If this is the case with you it is a good idea to check for any care instructions before cleaning your items. If they are very old or extremely fragile you may not have any choice but to hand wash them but newer pieces are beginning to become more durable and easier to wash in a dishwasher instead of by hand.
Pottery has been made for thousands of years. At first, finding a way to use local materials in such a way that they were waterproof and durable was important to many cultures. It was only a matter of time before we found ways to decorate them and turn functional items into works of art. Pottery items are glazed and then placed near a heat source so that the true colors of the glaze can come out and so that the patterns will not wash away when a piece is exposed to water.
You may want to look at different areas of Italy since color schemes and decorative elements can vary quite a bit from region to region. If you love the idea of a specific motif you can collect only those pieces or you could group different pieces together according to what color they are and what images are used to form the pattern.
One thing that makes pottery from Italy so recognizable is the bright color schemes that are used. Some pieces that originate from other parts of the world may use pale, diluted colors but Italian items tend to be much more strongly colored. Yellow is a popular color and is used as both an accent color and a background color depending on the decorating scheme.
Some collectors choose to feature a specific region or village in their collections. A collection of Tuscan pieces may look very different than one that features only pottery items that were made in Umbria or Abruzzo. If you are considering starting your collection in this way it may be worthwhile to read up a bit on each area and look at pictures of the items created there so that you know which appeal to you most.
Some individuals may want to add strongly colored items to their collections but may not know how to do so without making the collection compete with items around it. If you are concerned about that, look for pieces that are colored to compliment your other decorative elements. For example, pulling an accent color out of a small decorative element will help keep your collection looking like it was always meant to be there.
If authenticity is something that is important to you then building your collection may involve more research than if you simply want the look. Many pieces are being imported from Asia or other areas rather than coming directly from Italy. You may want to make sure you are dealing with reputable websites when shopping for pottery items.
Many people worry about damaging their pieces and so do not use them as often as they may want to. If this is the case with you it is a good idea to check for any care instructions before cleaning your items. If they are very old or extremely fragile you may not have any choice but to hand wash them but newer pieces are beginning to become more durable and easier to wash in a dishwasher instead of by hand.
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You can get a detailed list of the things to keep in mind when purchasing Italian pottery at http://www.intradaitaly.com right now.