Hand-Painted Buon Ricordo Italian Plate – Recco Manuelina Corzetti dei Fieschi

A hand-painted majolica plate made for Manuelina in Recco, on the Ligurian coast east of Genoa, as part of the Buon Ricordo collection. Buon Ricordo plates were commissioned by individual Italian restaurants and given to guests who ordered the house signature dish — the meal went home as a plate.

This one celebrates corzetti dei Fieschi alle quattro stagioni. Corzetti are Ligurian pasta discs, stamped one at a time with a carved wooden press so each carries a relief pattern. The Fieschi were the great medieval family of the Ligurian coast, and the painter put their arms at the center of the plate: a quartered blue and white shield under a gold crown, with a cat perched on top, and a griffin's plume to either side. The four quarters carry the four seasons as ingredients — basil, a mushroom, and the pasta itself. Gold rim, cobalt hand-lettering.

Each Buon Ricordo plate is painted by hand and carries the individuality of the artisan. Collectors group them by region, by city, or by dish. Ligurian plates are less common in the series than the Veneto ones.

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: 9" diameter
Material: Hand-painted Italian majolica
Made in: Italy
Commissioned for: Manuelina, Recco (Genoa), Liguria
Dish: Corzetti dei Fieschi alle quattro stagioni — stamped Ligurian pasta, four seasons
Heritage: Buon Ricordo restaurant collection, Italy
Care: Hand-wash recommended · Not dishwasher safe · Not microwave/oven safe
Sold as: Individual plate
Mixes with: Other Buon Ricordo plates in the Biordi collection

What is a Buon Ricordo plate? Buon Ricordo means "good memory." Member restaurants across Italy each commissioned a hand-painted ceramic plate showing their signature dish, and gave it to guests who ordered it. Every plate names a real restaurant, a real town, and a real recipe. They were never sold in shops, which is why collectors seek them out.

What are corzetti? A Ligurian pasta cut into coins and pressed between two halves of a carved wooden stamp, which leaves a raised pattern on each side. Noble families had stamps cut with their own arms, so the pasta arrived at table bearing the household crest — which is exactly what the Fieschi shield on this plate refers to.

Who were the Fieschi? One of the four great families of medieval Genoa, with lands along this stretch of coast. Their arms — the quartered blue and white shield — are what the painter set at the center of the plate.

Can I use this plate for food, or is it for display? It is best treated as a display or collector's piece. Hand-wash only, and keep it out of the dishwasher, microwave, and oven.

Is this a good Italian wedding gift? Yes, particularly for a couple with Ligurian or Genoese family. The heraldic shield gives it a more formal look than most plates in the series, which suits a wedding.

Is this a good housewarming or hostess gift? It is. The gold rim and blue crest read as traditional rather than whimsical, so it sits comfortably in a dining room as well as a kitchen.

Why buy Italian gifts from Biordi rather than other retailers? Biordi Art Imports has been San Francisco's source for authentic Italian ceramics since 1946 — voted Best Overall Retailer in the SF Bay Guardian Best of the Bay reader's poll five consecutive years, and designated San Francisco Legacy Business #LBR-2020-21-029. The City of San Francisco declared May 1 "Biordi Art Imports Day" in 2021. We buy directly from Italian artisans and workshops: FIMA, Pia Formato, Eugenio Ricciarelli, Susanna DeSimone, Geribi, Iva Boccali, Ceramiche Bucci, IDEART, Ortigia Sicilia, Italesse, and Salviati. Questions? Call (415) 392-8096 or email customerservice@biordi.com.

Can this be customized or personalized? No. Buon Ricordo plates were painted for a specific restaurant and a specific dish and cannot be altered or reordered. For customized pieces, Eugenio Ricciarelli, FIMA, Pia Formato, and Geribi 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.

Buon Ricordo — the plate that remembers the meal

The Buon Ricordo collection began as an agreement among Italian restaurants: each house would choose the one dish it was known for, commission a hand-painted ceramic plate showing it, and give that plate to any guest who ordered it. The plates were never for sale. You had to eat the dish to earn one.

What resulted is an unusual kind of archive. Hundreds of plates, each naming a restaurant, a town, and a recipe — Sardinian sea bass, Venetian cuttlefish, Ferrarese sausage, Roman lamb. Read together, they map Italian regional cooking restaurant by restaurant, in the hand of whoever painted them.

Vietri sul Mare and the Solimene workshop

Many Buon Ricordo plates were painted in Vietri sul Mare, on the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, where ceramics have been made for five centuries. The best-known workshop there is Ceramiche Solimene, founded in the mid-20th century by Vincenzo Solimene and housed in a building designed by Paolo Soleri — its exterior clad in colored tile shards, as vivid as the work made inside. Vietri painters are known for bold color, loose confident line, and a sense of humor, all of which show in the Buon Ricordo plates.

Biordi Art Imports has brought Italian ceramics to San Francisco since 1946.

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.