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OUR MISSION
TO PRESERVE, EXPERIENCE AND CELEBRATE THE ITALIAN CULTURE
BIORDI ART IMPORTS RETAIL STORE IS OPEN!
412 Columbus Ave. San Francisco, CA
Clean Environment | Curbside Pick-up
Contact us at (415) 392-8096 or customerservice@biordi.com
Biordi Art Imports
Voted Best Overall Store
Welcome to the 46th Bay Guardian Best of the Bay! PHEW! What a couple years, eh? The Bay Area has stood up through it all. While we’ve lost so much, it’s important to still celebrate who we are and how we’ve pulled through together. We’re beating back the monsters every day, and embracing our Best of the Bay beasts! Thus our 2021 theme: Beast Mode. This year’s Best of the Bay is dedicated to the indomitable Bay Area spirit, in all its freaky, oft-foggy glory. We encourage everyone to pour all they can into supporting great local businesses, institutions, organizations, and wonderful people, starting with this edition as a guide.
Best of the Bay 2021
Italian Holiday Ornaments
Italian ornaments are the most cherished gift you can give your loved ones this holiday! Our hand painted ornaments from Italy are painted by several artisans from Umbria, Tuscany and Sicily.
SHOP ORNAMENTS
Espresso Cups
Biordi Art Imports Handcrafted Espresso Cups are handmade and painted by Italy's finest Italian artisans using traditional methods and techniques, our collection of espresso cups are beautiful interpretations of Italian majolica.
Available in a variety of classic patterns including Antico Deruta, Raffaellesco, Ricco Deruta, Contrade and more, Biordi offers the finest collection of Italian espresso cups available outside of Italy.
Shop Espresso Cups
Teste d'Arte
These d'arte ceramic sculptures are hand crafted by Ivana Dolfi in Montelupo, Italy. These modern art pieces are hand made scuptures and can be used as a planter, vase or simply stunning piece of art.
Each Testa d'Arte (Head of Art) is a unique, one of a kind piece. The modern art piece is a statue and also a planter. The Italian ceramiche detail is all hand made and painted, a unique, one of a kind.
Shop Ceramiche d'Arte Dolfi
Classic Deruta
The Classic Deruta dinnerware is a stunning table setting for your meal.
The very essence, the soul, of Italian ceramics lives in La Citta di Deruta. Deruta, the center of Italian Majolica since the 12th century has over 100 ceramic workshops offering some of the best quality majolica in the world. There are six designs that form the foundation of Italian ceramics and capture the elegance of Italy’s traditional tableware.
SHOP CLASSIC DERUTA
Hand-painted Dispensers
The origniali Deruta design on this original olive oil dispenser is the ultimate dispenser, that can be used for it's original purpose olive oil or as a beverage dispenser for sangria or fruit infused water. The craftsmanship of these Italian Ceramics and hand-painted interpretation of this piece will be a distinctive Biordi treasure heirloom. Holds 5 Liters.
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Pia Formato
In old town of Deruta, nestled on the hilltop, stands Pia’s ceramic shop. Inside, Pia Formato, a master glazer known for her grand technical grasp, innovative designs and uncommonly vibrant colors, began twenty years ago with her interpretation of Eugenio’s geometric patterns. What has now become known as “Pia’s Red” is a vibrant red that results from a great deal of professional glazing skill. Pia’s patient endeavor showcased in all her works bring any table, any room and a mere meal to an occasion.
SHOP PIAFeatured Artisans
EUGENIO
Eugenio Riccirelli is one of the most beloved artisans in Deruta.
Eugenio began working at 13 in a painting factory. He then became an apprentice for the esteemed Franco Mari, eventually running Franco Mari’s studio for many years. Eugenio, known for his Deruta pottery in geometric designs and hues of blue, produces his works in 12 simplified patterns and 65 full designs.
Susanna De Simone
Giovanni De Simone, a renowned and innovative artisan from Palermo, Sicily, was a visionary artisan known for the use of intense colors and cubist drawing style similar to Picasso. Early in his life Giovanni worked with Picasso and shared his innovation using bright red in ceramics with Picasso. "Picasso loved that innovation. I express what comes through my imagination, filtering old and new memories, comparing my experiences and my understanding" wrote Giovanni De Simone in 1991.
Today, this art style is continued by his daughter Susanna. Her limited production bears her signature, together with the company's new name "Fabbrica della Ceramica”.
Biscotti Jars
Our collection of biscotti jars are now available in the new designs from best selling artisan, Eugenio, know for his Eugenio's Blues. Biordi offers an array of Biscotti jars, from Tuscany and Deruta. Each biscotti jar is handmade and painted using the same techniques that were perfected by Italy’s finest artists centuries ago.
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Deruta
Hand-crafted artisan Deruta is the "Mecca of Majolica".
For hundreds of years, artisans in Deruta have been producing Italian serving bowls, platters, trays and dinnerware. The very essence, the soul, of Italian ceramics lives in La Citta di Deruta. Deruta, the center of Italian Majolica since the 12th century has over 100 ceramic workshops offering some of the best quality majolica in the world. There are six designs that form the foundation of Italian ceramics and capture the elegance of Italy’s traditional tableware.
Teste di Moro
Legend of the Moorish Head The legend of the Moorish head goes back in the XI century, during the Moors domination in Sicily and as in most legends, is once again Cupid’s fault (or credit). One day, a beautiful and honorable young girl living in the Kalsa, the arabic district of Palermo, was taking care of plants and flowers in the balcony of her house as she was used to. Suddenly, a Moor merchant who was passing by, fell in love with the beautiful girl who immediately returned his love. They started having a love story until when she discovered he already had a wife and children waiting for him in his native land. She went suddenly crazy of jealousy and one night, while he was sleeping she thought of a way to make him stay with her forever! She therefore cut off his head and used it as a vase to grow her beautiful basil plant. People walking by her balcony started looking at her flourishing plant of basil and became jealous of how bloomed her plants were, so they commissioned the potters in Palermo to forge colourful clay heads pots wishing to have the same magic green thumb.
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DELLA ROBBIA
Biordi Art Imports offers the largest selection of religious hand-crafted artwork in America.
The Della Robbia is the most famous, created by Luca Della Robbia, a 15th century Italian sculptor from Florence, who was noted for his terra cotta roundels. He developed a pottery glaze that made his creations more durable in the outdoors and thus suitable for exterior of buildings.
SHOP DELLA ROBBIA
FEATURED EVENT
WEDDINGS
The wedding day is one of the most important events in a persons life. Today, the celebration may be a small intimate affair, yet all the more special. For 75 years Biordi Art Imports has been the place to find the perfect, unique gift for the special couple. It is certain to be a gift to be treasured forever!
We offer a wedding registry experience unlike any other. At Biordi, you are greeted with a fine aperitivo, accompanied by a sparkling beverage, surrounded by exquisite Italian Art and music, you will feel enveloped in the warmth of the Italian lifestyle.
EXPERIENCE BIORDI REGISTRYFeatured Artisan
Vignoli
Ivana and Saura Vignoli, sisters, in Faenza, Italy a short drive from the Adriatic Sea, developed a special technique named “Full-fire Reduction”. The technique involves unique glazes and firing styles, to create a spectacular copper sheen. These techniques offer a modern Italian aesthetic. The sea, an important influence to their family’s history is honored through schools of sardines or anchovies gracing their creations.
SHOP VIGNOLIFeatured Artisan Family
ND DOLFI
For the precious person in your life, nothing speaks louder than pure gold. ND Dolfi ceramics are painted with 24 karat gold paint.
Love of the material, respect for tradition and the desire to experiment, are the ingredients to ND Dolfi designs. The Dolfi family has decades of experience in the production of Italian majolica. Giovanni Dolfi, in 1941 began producing majolica in the castle that dominates Montelupo. In 1994, his son Silvano began an independent company, ND Dolfi Ceramics. Following in the footsteps of Silvano Dolfi, who managed the company until 2009, and awarded by the Tuscan region with Maestro Artigiano's gold medal, the daughters Daria and Natalia with her husband Carlo manage the business today.
SHOP ND DOLFIFeatured Artisan
Geribi
One of the most popular Deruta pottery designs sold at Biordi, is Geribi, the peacock feather ceramic design. The Ribigini family has been producing majolica for many generations. Gerardo owns the workshop. His Father organized a group of artists after the war and built a factory for 200 workers. When Gerardo was 15 he began his apprenticeship, and started the business at age of 20. Now Gerardo, and his daughter, Claudia, handpaint this stunning collection.
SHOP GERIBI
Celebrating 75 Years! Not quite as old as the clay, nor as old as this artform--Though an exclamation and footnote of gratitude to all of You.
Our Mission is our Passion.
To keep this artform alive, to keep our artisans painting, and to offer you beautiful, functional art you can use that brings joy to your everyday!
Join us as well celebrate our 75th Year.
Featured Event
Biordi Art Imports Day
75th Anniversary
BIORDI ART IMPORTS DAY
MAY 1st
Join the celebration in honor of our 75th Anniversary.
"We are so honored to receive this Proclamation from the City of San Francisco" said Deborah Baldini, owner of Biordi Art Imports. May 1st is Labor Day in Italy and has particular significance because Biordi has been the lifeline for many of the artisans during this devastating pandemic in Italy.
Our Thank you to all that have supported us through this challenging time. We are thankful and truly humbled!
Watch the Celebration of our 75th Year
OUR ARTISANS
These are the faces of our artisans in Italy. The impact of the Coronavirus has been devastating for most of them, first because of the threat of the Coronavirus, and now the economic impact. Tourism, a major form of income for the artisans, is non-existent.
Collectively, we can make a difference, and support the incredible Italian Artisan Families that create our Biordi
majolica.
Thank you for the support you have given us as we are working to ensure our artisans continue to produce this beautiful hand-crafted majolica.
Welcome to Biordi Art Imports
San Francisco's finest retailer for Italian pottery and ceramics!
Biordi Art Imports offers the finest in imported Italian pottery from artisans in Deruta, Castelli, Siena, Florence and many of Italy's other historical villages known for majolica. We only sell the best, heirloom quality Italian pottery and proudly bring these handmade, hand-painted, one-of-a-kind ceramics to you!We have searched throughout Italy and found the best artisans to create this functional art known as Majolica. All the Italian ceramics at Biordi’s are handmade and signed by the artisan who created it. The process for producing this 500-year-old art form begins with a special clay from specific regions in Italy, then the ceramics are fired, dipped in a white glaze, and painted with lead-free mineral paints; and then fired again to expose the vibrant colorations known only to Italian majolica.
Shop our one-of-a-kind collections of Deruta pottery, espresso cups, Della Robbia, holiday ornaments and more.
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