Ricco Deruta: Rooster Pitcher, 1/4 Qt.

This beautiful Ricco Deruta design on the 1/4 qt Rooster Pitcher is an interpretation of an original 16th century pattern. It has been Biordi's undisputed best selling Italian pottery and Maiolica for the past 60 years.

The Legend of the Italian Rooster Pitcher ~

The origin of Rooster Pitchers dates back to the early Renaissance period (15^th century) in the Republic of Florence. The Medici’s were the ruling family in Florence, and as the wealthiest and most powerful, the Medici family had a lot to celebrate. And celebrate they did!

There was a rivalry, power struggle with another leading Florence family, the Pazzi’s, who also had strong influence in Florence and resented the Medici’s and vowed to overthrow the dynasty.  After multiple unsuccessful attempts to murder the Medici’s, the Pazzi’s enlisted a double agent to convince the Medici’s to host one of their lavish parties in the village of Gallina, where they would assassin Guiliano Medici.  They waited until the Medici family members and their guards were inebriated and then would attack.

As the Pazzi assassins were in the outskirts of the village, they came upon a field of roosters, and upon crossing them, the roosters crowed.  The Medici guardsmen awoke and were able to defend the Medici’s and capture the assassins.   

The next day, the Medici’s ordered the artisans to pay homage to the roosters and create ceramic pitchers modeled in the roosters’ image. These ceramic roosters were used as wine vessels as the Medici’s celebrated their good fortunes. 

After the fortuitous turn of events on that evening in 1478, the Medici’s sent each of the families of Gallina a ceramic rooster as a symbol of good luck. The ceramic rooster pitcher was very popular over the subsequent 16th century and today is a tradition many Italian families continue to enjoy. Often, the Italian ceramic rooster pitcher is given as a wedding or housewarming gift, or as a gesture of goodwill.

“Il Buon Gallo” or “Good Rooster” has become a symbol of luck, abundance and prosperity.

Ricco Deruta  - This is Biordi’s most popular pattern for classic Italian dinnerware. This design on the Majolica pottery can be traced from Perugino’s frescos from the 16th century, and is hailed as Deruta’s most celebrated design. The Ricco Deruta design is masterfully hand painted with the original blues, yellows, and greens of the traditional Renaissance era.

When you order this hand-painted Classic Deruta Dinnerware and Ceramics you can mix these patterns with the other designs from the city of Deruta including: Raffaellesco, Antico Deruta, Siena, Orvieto Green Rooster and Bordato. Each piece of our Majolica pottery is one of a kind and these Biordi dishes will all look great together!

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.