Raffaellesco: Salad Plate, Simplified 8"d

An 8-inch hand-painted Italian salad plate in the Raffaellesco Simplified pattern, made by the FIMA workshop in Deruta, Italy. Raffaellesco is Biordi's most appreciated pattern of classic Italian dinnerware — a stylized golden dragon centered on the plate, reputedly first painted by Raphael himself in the 16th century. The dragon is a benevolent deity: the puffs of wind streaming from its mouth represent the fair winds it bestows on seagoing merchants and on anyone the pattern travels home with.

The Simplified version preserves Raffaellesco's distinctive palette — golden dragon, deep blue accents, cream ground — in a quieter composition for everyday use. The 8" salad plate is sized for salads, appetizers, desserts, or as an accent under a soup bowl.

Pairs naturally with the rest of Raffaellesco and the sibling Classic Deruta patterns (Antico, Ricco Deruta, Siena, Orvieto, Bordato), including older CAMA-workshop pieces in long-time collectors' sets.

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: 8" diameter
Material: Hand-painted majolica (tin-glazed earthenware)
Made in: Deruta, Italy
Workshop: FIMA (successor to CAMA for the Classic Deruta lines)
Pattern: Raffaellesco, Simplified — golden dragon with blue accents on cream
Heritage: 16th-century design reputedly painted by Raphael
Care: Dishwasher safe · Food safe · Not microwave safe · Not oven safe
Sold as: Individual salad plate
Mixes with: Raffaellesco (Full Design), Antico Deruta, Ricco Deruta, Siena, Orvieto, Bordato, plus older CAMA-workshop pieces

What is the Raffaellesco pattern?
Biordi's most appreciated pattern of classic Italian dinnerware. A stylized golden dragon is the central motif, reputedly first painted by Raphael, the master painter and architect of the Italian High Renaissance, in the 16th century. The Raffaellesco dragon is a benevolent deity that bestows good luck and fair winds on seagoing merchants — the puffs of wind streaming from the dragon's mouth represent that blessing. The pattern is hailed as one of Deruta's most challenging designs in all of majolica; its intricacy demands an unimaginably steady hand from the artisan.

What's the difference between Raffaellesco Full Design and Simplified?
The Full Design carries the dragon and the surrounding ornament in full detail — it's the showpiece. The Simplified version uses the same color palette and motif vocabulary in a quieter composition for everyday use. The two mix at the same table by design.

What does the dragon mean?
A benevolent deity, not a threatening one. It bestows good luck and fair winds on seagoing merchants, with puffs of wind streaming from its mouth as the visual sign of that blessing. This makes Raffaellesco a particularly meaningful gift for someone embarking on a new chapter — a wedding, a new home, a new venture.

Who makes the Raffaellesco pattern?
The FIMA workshop in Deruta, Italy. FIMA is the master workshop that produces Biordi's Classic Deruta dinnerware lines — Antico Deruta, Ricco Deruta, Raffaellesco, Siena, Orvieto, and Bordato. (Note: a separate exclusive variant, Raffaellesco Rosso, combines the golden Raffaellesco dragon with the red Ricamo Rosso scrollwork and is produced exclusively by the Pia Formato workshop.)

Is FIMA the same as CAMA?
FIMA is the workshop in Deruta now producing the Classic Deruta patterns once made by CAMA, the historic Deruta workshop that originated several of these designs. The patterns themselves are essentially the same. What differs is the artisan's hand — FIMA's painters use slightly different color tones than CAMA's did. The two work well together: if you have CAMA pieces in your collection, you can add FIMA pieces today and the table will read as one cohesive group.

Is it really hand-painted?
Yes — and Raffaellesco is one of the most challenging patterns to paint in all of Deruta. Every piece is hand-painted by a single artisan at the FIMA workshop, so no two are exactly alike. The small differences in color, shape, line, or diameter that you'll see piece-to-piece are signs of authentic hand-painting, not defects.

Is it dishwasher safe?
Yes — dishwasher safe and food safe. Not microwave safe (the underglaze can stress under microwave heat) and not oven safe.

Can I mix this with other Deruta patterns?
Yes — that's a deliberate design choice. Raffaellesco is built to coordinate with Antico Deruta, Ricco Deruta, Siena, Orvieto, and Bordato.

Is this a good Italian wedding gift?
Yes — wedding gifts are one of the things Biordi is best known for. Raffaellesco is a particularly meaningful choice because the dragon traditionally bestows fair winds and good luck on new ventures. Hand-painted Italian ceramics are heirloom-quality, one-of-a-kind, and they carry their origin clearly: this piece is made in Deruta, Italy. We ship nationwide, gift-wrap on request, and have been the San Francisco source for authentic Italian ceramics since 1946.

Is this a good housewarming or hostess gift?
Yes. Gifts are the largest part of what Biordi sells — every piece is a one-of-a-kind, authentic Italian treasure made by a named artisan in Italy, not a mass-produced import. Arrives ready to use rather than store. 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. So each piece is genuinely one-of-a-kind. 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.

Raffaellesco — This is Biordi's most appreciated pattern of classic Italian dinnerware, ceramics, and pottery. The stylized golden dragon, seen as the central motif, was reputedly painted in the 16th century by Raphael — the master painter and architect of the Italian High Renaissance. The Raffaellesco dragon has come to be known as a benevolent deity who bestows good luck and fair winds on seagoing merchants; the puffs of wind streaming from the dragon's mouth represent that blessing. It is hailed as one of Deruta's most challenging designs in all of majolica, as its intricacy requires an unimaginably steady hand.

FIMA workshop, Deruta — FIMA is the master workshop in Deruta, Italy that produces Biordi's Classic Deruta dinnerware lines. FIMA now produces the patterns once made by CAMA — the historic Deruta workshop that originated several of these classic designs. The patterns themselves are essentially the same. What differs is the artisan's hand: FIMA's painters work with slightly different color tones than CAMA's did, but the two work beautifully together. If you collected CAMA pieces years ago, you can add FIMA pieces today and the table will read as one cohesive group. Every Antico Deruta, Ricco Deruta, Raffaellesco, Siena, Orvieto, and Bordato piece in Biordi's catalog is hand-painted at the FIMA workshop in Deruta.

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.