Fiore Rosso Square Sushi Plate 4" x 4"

This Fiore Rosso Square Sushi Plate is hand-painted by Susanna DeSimone at her family's studio — Fabbrica della Ceramica — in Palermo, Sicily. A single bold red flower with a blue center sits on a stem between two green leaves, drawn in the free, confident line the DeSimone family has been known for since Giovanni DeSimone worked alongside Pablo Picasso.

At 4" x 4", it is sized for a few pieces of sushi, a small bite at cocktail hour, a pat of butter, or soy sauce and wasabi. Between meals it works as a ring or trinket dish on a dresser or desk.

Each Susanna DeSimone piece is hand-crafted, hand-glazed, and hand-painted in Palermo, so no two are ever identical. Buy one as a gift, or collect a few to set one at every place on the table.

The small imperfections such as the difference in color, shape, diameter or small bubbles that form inside, do not constitute a defect but testify that it is actually an artisanal product.

Dimensions: 4" x 4" (9 x 9 cm)
Material: Hand-painted Sicilian majolica (tin-glazed earthenware)
Made in: Palermo, Sicily
Workshop: Susanna DeSimone, Fabbrica della Ceramica
Pattern: Fiore Rosso — a red flower with blue center and green leaves, a Susanna DeSimone original
Heritage: Sicilian majolica in the cubist-folk style of Giovanni DeSimone
Uses: Sushi plate · small appetizer or dessert plate · soy sauce or butter dish · ring or trinket dish
Care: Dishwasher safe · Some collectors prefer hand-washing to preserve color brilliance over decades of use · Not microwave safe · Not oven safe · Food-safe (lead-free glaze)
Sold as: Individual plate
Mixes with: Other Susanna DeSimone pieces, and the Il Mio Tavolo stoneware line
Signature: Each piece signed by Susanna DeSimone; bears the "Fabbrica della Ceramica" studio mark

Is it a sushi plate, an appetizer plate, or a trinket dish?
All three. It is food-safe and made for the table — sushi, small bites, sweets, soy sauce, or butter — and it is just as pretty holding rings or keys.

Is Susanna DeSimone dishwasher safe?
Yes — Susanna DeSimone pieces can be cleaned in the dishwasher and the glaze holds up well. Some collectors prefer hand-washing for the most cherished pieces to preserve color brilliance over decades of use. Not microwave or oven safe.

What's the difference between Susanna DeSimone and Giovanni DeSimone?
Giovanni DeSimone founded the studio in Palermo and worked alongside Pablo Picasso, who loved his innovation of using bright red in glazed ceramics. Susanna DeSimone is Giovanni's daughter and continues the studio today as Fabbrica della Ceramica. She paints in a similar cubist-folk style with her own palette and signature.

Is this a good Christmas gift?
Yes. This red-and-green flower plate, hand-painted by Susanna DeSimone in Palermo, Sicily, is an easy Italian Christmas gift — a stocking stuffer, a hostess gift for holiday dinner, or a small piece for the holiday table that stays out all year. Order by December 15, 2026 for ground shipping in time for Christmas, or add Florentine gift wrap at checkout and we'll send it ready to give.

What's a good Christmas gift for someone who loves to cook?
A small hand-painted Italian plate they'll actually use. The Fiore Rosso Square Sushi Plate by Susanna DeSimone is food-safe, signed by the artist, and right-sized for sushi, small bites, or a dish of olive oil.

Is this a good Italian wedding gift?
Yes — as part of a set or alongside a larger serving piece. A signed, hand-painted plate from a historic Palermo studio is a gift the couple will use for years.

Is this a good housewarming or hostess gift?
Yes. It is small, useful, and unmistakably Italian — an easy gift to bring to dinner. We gift-wrap on request and ship nationwide.

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, Geribi, Bucci Ceramiche, Ortigia Sicilia, Italesse, and Salviati.

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.

The Susanna DeSimone artistic tradition was founded in Palermo, Sicily, by her father Giovanni DeSimone — a renowned and innovative artisan known for intense colors and a cubist drawing style similar to Pablo Picasso. Early in his career, Giovanni DeSimone worked alongside Picasso, and the two shared an innovation: the use of bright red in glazed ceramics, which Picasso loved. "I express what comes through my imagination, filtering old and new memories, comparing my experiences and my understanding," Giovanni DeSimone wrote in 1991.

Biordi Art Imports was the first US distributor of Giovanni DeSimone's work — a relationship that continues today with his daughter, Susanna DeSimone, who carries the tradition forward. Her limited production bears her signature alongside the studio's new name, Fabbrica della Ceramica.

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.