Aperitivo in Amalfi Gift Set — Hand-Painted Alici Rosse Soap Dish & Italian Scrub Soap

A hand-painted ceramic soap dish from the Amalfi Coast, paired with one 150g bar of Casa Amalfi's Aperitivo in Amalfi scrub soap, in a gold-lined gift box.

The dish is painted in the Alici Rosse pattern — small anchovies swimming between red and orange waves, with white dots breaking like sea foam. Anchovies are the everyday fish of the Campanian coast, and painting them onto tableware is an old habit there: the catch, made decorative. Casa Amalfi's ceramics are hand-painted by artisans of the Costiera Amalfitana, so no two dishes are identical. Small differences in line and color are the mark of the hand that painted it.

The soap is triple-milled and made with Italian olive oil, shea butter, and finely ground apricot seed, which is what gives it its scrub. It exfoliates while it washes, so it suits hands at a kitchen sink as well as the shower. Casa Amalfi describes the Aperitivo in Amalfi fragrance as bitter orange, mint and ginger over white flowers, with vanilla, musk and sandalwood underneath — a seaside aperitivo, which is the idea. Vegan and cruelty-free.

When the bar is finished the dish stays. That is the point of this set: a consumable and a keepsake in the same box, and at $65 it reads as a considerably more expensive gift than it is.

Contents: One hand-painted ceramic soap dish and one 150g scrub soap bar, in a printed gift box
Dish dimensions: 5 1/2" x 4"
Pattern: Alici Rosse — red anchovies and waves
Material: Hand-painted ceramic
Made in: Amalfi Coast, Campania, Italy
Brand: Casa Amalfi
Soap: Triple-milled with Italian olive oil, shea butter, and ground apricot seed; vegan and cruelty-free
Fragrance: Bitter orange, mint, ginger; white flowers; vanilla, musk, sandalwood
Care: Dish is dishwasher safe; keep the soap on it dry between uses
Sold as: Gift set
Pairs with: Nesti Dante Villa Sole soaps, Ortigia Sicilia bath and fragrance

What is the Alici Rosse pattern?
Alici are anchovies, and rosse is red. The dish shows small painted anchovies swimming between red and orange waves. It is a coastal Campanian motif — the fish that built the local economy, turned into decoration.

Is every dish the same?
No. Each one is painted by hand on the Amalfi Coast, so the waves and fish vary slightly from piece to piece. That variation is the point, not a flaw.

Is the dish dishwasher safe?
Yes. It can also be washed by hand, which many people prefer for hand-painted pieces.

What is a scrub soap, exactly?
A bar, not a jar. Finely ground apricot seed is milled into the soap, so it exfoliates gently as you wash. It is not the same as a tub of body scrub, and it does not make a mess in the shower.

Can I use the dish for something other than soap?
Yes — it works as a small tray for rings and keys on a dresser, for olives or lemon wedges at an aperitivo, or as a spoon rest by the stove.

Is this a good Italian wedding gift?
It is a good shower, engagement, or thank-you gift. The dish is a keeper, though it is a small piece. For a wedding gift meant to anchor a table for decades, look to hand-painted Deruta dinnerware or Salviati Murano glass.

Is this a good housewarming or hostess gift?
One of the best in the store. It arrives boxed and ready to give, it costs less than it looks, and the dish stays in the house long after the soap is gone.

Why buy Italian gifts from Biordi rather than other retailers?
Biordi Art Imports has imported from Italy since 1946 and is a San Francisco Legacy Business (#LBR-2020-21-029). We buy directly from the makers — FIMA, CF Deruta, Pia Formato, Eugenio Ricciarelli, Susanna DeSimone, Geribi, Bucci Ceramiche, Ortigia Sicilia, Italesse, and Salviati — and we know where each piece comes from. Questions: (415) 392-8096 or customerservice@biordi.com.

Casa Amalfi — Costiera Amalfitana, Campania — An Italian house making ceramics, soaps, fragrances, and candles drawn from the Amalfi Coast. Its ceramics are hand-painted by artisans of the Costiera, in the tradition of the maiolica towns strung along that coast, and no two pieces come out the same. Bold color, living detail, gestures passed down through time — this is how the Coast finds its way into your home, with its light and its rhythm.

UPS Ground

Flat shipping charge of $10 for each shipment of merchandise under $100.00. For orders of $100.00 or more, shipping is 10% of the order total.

UPS Next Day Air

Flat shipping charge of $63 for each shipment of merchandise under $70.00. For orders of $70.00 or more, shipping is 90% of the order total.

UPS 2-Day Priority (Rush Shipping)

Flat shipping charge of $42 for each shipment of merchandise under $70.00. For orders of $70.00 or more, shipping is 60% of the order total. Note: This option is required for shipping to Alaska and Hawaii.

USPS 3-Day Priority

Flat shipping charge of $21 for each shipment of merchandise under $70.00. For orders of $70.00 or more, shipping is 30% of the order total.

International Shipments

Please contact us at customerservice@biordi.com or call us at (415) 392-8096 for quotes to ship internationally.

You will be charged a rate based on your delivery area, value and shipping preference. For items shipped via UPS, see below for information pricing information. Once the package is shipped, you will receive an email with tracking information to track your package.