Ortigia Sicilia Glass Plate & Soap- Gattopardo

An Ortigia Sicilia Ambra Nera glycerine soap, 40g, paired with a decorative glass plate in the Gattopardo design — the leopard motif that runs through Ortigia's Sicilian visual language, applied to the glass by serigraphic printing. The plate and soap ship together as a set.

Ambra Nera is the deepest scent in the Ortigia range: black amber, resin and spiced woods, warm and musky rather than fresh. It's the one customers reach for in winter, and the one that reads most clearly as unisex. The glycerine soap is translucent and richly coloured — a different character from Ortigia's opaque olive oil bars, and better suited to sitting out on display where the plate can be seen through it.

The glass plate stays useful long after the soap is gone — as a ring dish, a coin dish, or a small catch-all on a vanity or nightstand. That double life is why this is one of Biordi's most-given small gifts. All Ortigia products are made by small family companies that pride themselves on the quality of their work; the decorative packaging is designed by Sue Townsend and draws on exotic Sicilian images and colours. Ortigia Sicilia was featured in HBO's The White Lotus, filmed at Sicily's San Domenico Palace in Taormina, where the line is also sold.

Contents: One decorative glass plate + one Ambra Nera glycerine soap, 40g
Material: Serigraphic-printed glass; glycerine soap
Made in: Italy
Brand: Ortigia Sicilia
Design: Gattopardo — Ortigia's leopard motif
Fragrance: Ambra Nera — black amber, resin and spiced woods
Ingredients: Natural vegetable glycerin base · Paraben-free · No SLS · No mineral oils or silicone derivatives · Naturally derived colours and fragrances · Not tested on animals
Care: Keep the soap dry between uses · Hand-wash the glass plate
Sold as: Set, in Ortigia Sicilia gift packaging

What does Ambra Nera smell like?
Deep and warm — black amber, resin and spiced woods. It's the richest scent in the Ortigia range and reads unisex, closer to a winter fragrance than a fresh one.

What do you get in the set?
One decorative Ortigia glass plate in the Gattopardo design and one 40g Ambra Nera glycerine soap, packaged together.

What is Gattopardo?
It's the design on the plate — Ortigia's leopard motif, a recurring figure in the house's Sicilian imagery.

How is a glycerine soap different from Ortigia's olive oil soap?
Glycerine soap is translucent and jewel-coloured; the olive oil bars are opaque and more matte. Both are gentle — the glycerine one just looks better sitting on a glass plate where light passes through it.

What happens to the plate when the soap runs out?
Most customers keep using it — as a ring dish, a coin dish, or a small tray for a vanity or nightstand. The plate is the part that lasts.

How do I keep the soap from going soft?
Let it drain and dry between uses rather than leaving it sitting in water.

Where is it made?
In Italy, by Ortigia Sicilia — founded in Sicily in 2006 by Sue Townsend.

Is this a good Italian wedding gift?
It works beautifully as a shower, bridesmaid, groomsman, or thank-you gift. For the wedding itself, Biordi's hand-painted Deruta ceramics and Murano glass are the stronger registry choice — those are the heirloom pieces. We ship nationwide and gift-wrap on request.

Is this a good housewarming or hostess gift?
Yes — it's one of our best. It arrives ready to give, it suits any home, and the glass plate keeps working after the soap is finished. Add Florentine gift wrap at checkout if you'd like it sent finished.

Why buy Italian gifts from Biordi rather than other retailers?
Biordi Art Imports has been San Francisco's source for authentic Italian ceramics and gifts since 1946. Voted Best Overall Retailer in the San Francisco Bay Guardian Best of the Bay readers' poll for five consecutive years. Designated a San Francisco Legacy Business (#LBR-2020-21-029), and the city declared May 1 "Biordi Art Imports Day" in 2021. Every piece comes from a named Italian artisan, family workshop, or heritage house we work with directly — FIMA, CF Deruta, Pia Formato, Eugenio Ricciarelli, Susanna DeSimone (from the famous Palermo ceramic family — her father painted with Picasso), Geribi, Bucci Ceramiche, Ortigia Sicilia, Italesse, and Salviati. Not a stock-photo listing, not a mass-produced import, not a reproduction.

Can this be customized or personalized?
Customization and personalization are available on select pieces. Eugenio Ricciarelli, FIMA, Pia Formato, Geribi, and CF Deruta accept special orders — a name, date, or occasion painted on the piece, or a different size or shape in the workshop's existing pattern. Lead time is typically 3–6 months because each piece is hand-painted to order in Italy. Contact Biordi Art Imports at (415) 392-8096 or customerservice@biordi.com.

Ambra Nera — black amber, the darkest and warmest scent in the Ortigia range, built on resin and spiced woods. Made as soap, candle, eau de parfum, hand cream and scented crystals.

Gattopardo — Ortigia's leopard, one of the house's recurring Sicilian figures, printed here on glass by serigraphy.

Ortigia Sicilia — Siracusa, Sicily — a privately owned Italian soap and scent company founded in Sicily in 2006 by Sue Townsend. The range is formulated using natural products indigenous to Sicily and inspired by the aesthetics, colours and scents of Italy's most historic and tropical region. All Ortigia products are made by small family companies; the decorative packaging is designed by Sue Townsend.

The name Ortigia comes from the small island at the edge of the ancient fortified city of Siracusa, on Sicily's southeastern coast. The streets of Ortigia are crumbling baroque façades of great splendour looking out on three sides to the sea, and the Piazza del Duomo is considered one of the most beautiful in Italy. This part of the island is known as "la Sicilia Orientale" for its proximity to Africa and almost tropical climate.

Sicily carries a colourful history of conquest, invasion and assimilation — Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Aragonese and Bourbons all left their mark. That layered culture inspired the creation of the Ortigia range.

Italian ceramics are heirloom quality products, and can last lifetime with proper care. We have some suggestions that will preserve your majolica for years to come.

Majolica is dishwasher safe, but many people choose to hand wash their pieces as a precaution. Because majolica is a porous material, some pieces are not meant to hold liquid for a long period of time. Check for warning labels before ordering a product, as the pieces that are most notorious for "sweating" are appropriately labeled.

Majolica is sensitive to extreme temperatures, specifically boiling or freezing liquids. Pouring water with a rolling boil directly into a teapot, for example, may lead to breakage. To avoid this, temper the object. The industry standard is 620 degrees Celsius (1,148 degrees Fahrenheit). Quench the glass to cool it.

Crazing is common in well used majolica. The tiny cracks in the glaze do not affect the functionality of your majolica.

Majolica hand-crafted products should not be microwaved, as it may crack and/or break the ceramics.

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.