{"product_id":"raffaellesco-rooster-pitcher-2-qt","title":"Raffaellesco: Rooster Pitcher, 2 Qt.","description":"\u003ch4\u003eDESCRIPTION\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA hand-painted Italian 2-quart rooster pitcher in the \u003cstrong\u003eRaffaellesco\u003c\/strong\u003e pattern, made by the \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/classic-deruta\"\u003eFIMA workshop\u003c\/a\u003e in Deruta, Italy. A sculptural vessel modeled in the form of a rooster — a tradition with deep roots in Renaissance Florence (see The Legend below) — painted in Biordi's most appreciated pattern of classic Italian dinnerware.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRaffaellesco is a stylized golden dragon design reputedly first painted by Raphael 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. On a rooster pitcher, the dragon scrolls wrap around the body and tail of the bird, giving a layered reading of two of Italy's most enduring good-luck symbols at once.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUse the pitcher for wine service in the Italian tradition, for water at a long meal, or as a sculptural piece on a sideboard between meals. Pairs naturally with Raffaellesco dinnerware and the sibling Classic Deruta patterns, including older CAMA-workshop pieces. A traditional Italian wedding or housewarming gift because of its layered symbolism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eThe Legend of the Italian Rooster Pitcher\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe origin of Italian rooster pitchers dates back to the early Renaissance, 15th-century Florence. The Medici family ruled Florence as its wealthiest and most powerful dynasty, and a rival family — the Pazzi — resented their dominance and vowed to overthrow them. After multiple failed attempts to assassinate the Medici, the Pazzi enlisted a double agent to lure them to a lavish party in the village of Gallina, where their assassins planned to attack once the Medici guards were drunk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs the Pazzi assassins crossed a field of roosters on the outskirts of the village, the roosters crowed. The Medici guards woke, defended the family, and captured the would-be assassins.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe next day, the Medici ordered Florence's artisans to pay homage to the roosters by creating ceramic pitchers in their image. The Medici used these vessels as wine pitchers as they celebrated their survival. After 1478, the Medici sent each Gallina family a ceramic rooster as a symbol of good luck. The tradition spread across the 16th century and into modern Italian-American homes, where rooster pitchers became one of the classic wedding and housewarming gifts. \u003cem\u003e\"Il Buon Gallo\"\u003c\/em\u003e — the Good Rooster — has come to symbolize luck, abundance, and prosperity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2-quart capacity, rooster-form pitcher\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hand-painted majolica (tin-glazed earthenware)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMade in:\u003c\/strong\u003e Deruta, Italy\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWorkshop:\u003c\/strong\u003e FIMA (successor to CAMA for the Classic Deruta lines)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePattern:\u003c\/strong\u003e Raffaellesco — golden dragon with blue accents on cream ground\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeritage:\u003c\/strong\u003e 16th-century Raffaellesco design reputedly painted by Raphael + 15th-century Medici rooster pitcher tradition\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCare:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dishwasher safe · Food safe · Not microwave safe · Not oven safe\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSold as:\u003c\/strong\u003e Individual pitcher\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMixes with:\u003c\/strong\u003e Raffaellesco dinnerware, Antico Deruta, Ricco Deruta, Siena, Orvieto, Bordato, plus older CAMA-workshop pieces\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is an Italian rooster pitcher?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nA hand-painted ceramic pitcher modeled in the form of a rooster, a tradition that dates to 15th-century Florence and the Medici family (see The Legend above). \"Il Buon Gallo\" — the Good Rooster — has become an enduring symbol of luck, abundance, and prosperity in Italian and Italian-American homes. Often given as a wedding or housewarming gift.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat is the Raffaellesco pattern?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nBiordi'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 dragon is a benevolent deity that bestows good luck and fair winds on seagoing merchants — the puffs of wind streaming from its mouth represent that blessing. It is hailed as one of Deruta's most challenging designs in all of majolica.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I still order this if it shows out of stock?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nYes — every Raffaellesco piece can be reordered as a special order at the FIMA workshop in Deruta. Lead time is typically 3–6 months because each piece is hand-painted to order in Italy. Contact Biordi at (415) 392-8096 or customerservice@biordi.com.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho makes the Raffaellesco pattern?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs FIMA the same as CAMA?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nFIMA 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it really hand-painted?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nYes — 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it dishwasher safe?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nYes — dishwasher safe and food safe. Not microwave safe (the underglaze can stress under microwave heat) and not oven safe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan I mix this with other Deruta patterns?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nYes — that's a deliberate design choice. Raffaellesco is built to coordinate with Antico Deruta, Ricco Deruta, Siena, Orvieto, and Bordato.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this a good Italian wedding gift?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nYes — a rooster pitcher is one of the most traditional Italian-American wedding gifts because of the Good Rooster's centuries-old association with luck, abundance, and prosperity. In Raffaellesco, the symbolism doubles: the dragon adds the meaning of fair winds for new ventures. Hand-painted Italian ceramics are heirloom-quality, one-of-a-kind, and made in Deruta, Italy. We ship nationwide, gift-wrap on request, and have been the San Francisco source for authentic Italian ceramics since 1946.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this a good housewarming or hostess gift?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nYes — especially housewarming, since the Good Rooster has been a symbol of good luck for the home since the Renaissance. Add Florentine gift wrap at checkout if you'd like it sent finished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy buy Italian gifts from Biordi rather than other retailers?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nBiordi Art Imports has been San Francisco's source for authentic Italian ceramics and gifts since 1946. Voted \u003cstrong\u003eBest Overall Retailer\u003c\/strong\u003e in the San Francisco Bay Guardian Best of the Bay readers' poll for \u003cstrong\u003efive consecutive years\u003c\/strong\u003e. Designated a \u003cstrong\u003eSan Francisco Legacy Business\u003c\/strong\u003e (#LBR-2020-21-029), and the city declared \u003cstrong\u003eMay 1 \"Biordi Art Imports Day\"\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan this be customized or personalized?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\nCustomization 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eArtisan Story\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRaffaellesco\u003c\/strong\u003e — 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFIMA workshop, Deruta\u003c\/strong\u003e — FIMA is the master workshop in Deruta, Italy that produces Biordi's Classic Deruta dinnerware lines. FIMA now produces the patterns once made by \u003cstrong\u003eCAMA\u003c\/strong\u003e — 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.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"FIMA","offers":[{"title":"2 qt.","offer_id":12837544198197,"sku":"242","price":190.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1001\/9802\/products\/760.jpg?v=1579910557","url":"https:\/\/biordi.com\/products\/raffaellesco-rooster-pitcher-2-qt","provider":"Biordi Art Imports","version":"1.0","type":"link"}