Spaghetti Tong - Ricco Deruta

A hand-painted Italian spaghetti tong with a Ricco Deruta ceramic handle, made by the Tommassini workshop in the hills of Deruta, Italy. A functional serving utensil that combines hand-painted Italian majolica with luxury stainless steel hardware — the kind of piece that stays out on the counter or table rather than tucked in a drawer.

The ceramic handle is hand-painted in Ricco Deruta, Biordi's most popular pattern — a 16th-century Renaissance design traced from Perugino's frescoes, painted in the original blues, yellows, and greens of the era. The tong head is high-grade stainless steel from EME, Italy's leading luxury flatware company.

Pairs naturally with Ricco Deruta dinnerware and the sibling Classic Deruta patterns. A favorite Italian-kitchen gift for cooks, pasta lovers, and anyone who already collects Deruta ceramics.

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.

Type: Spaghetti tong / pasta serving utensil
Material: Hand-painted majolica ceramic handle + EME stainless steel tong head
Made in: Deruta, Italy (ceramic) + Italy (steel hardware)
Workshop: Tommassini, with EME stainless steel
Pattern: Ricco Deruta — Renaissance blues, yellows, and greens
Heritage: Renaissance-era Deruta tradition, traced from Perugino's 16th-century frescos
Care: Hand wash recommended for combined ceramic + steel pieces
Sold as: Individual utensil

What is Ricco Deruta?
Biordi's most popular pattern for classic Italian dinnerware — and Deruta's most celebrated design. The pattern can be traced to Perugino's frescoes from the 16th century, and is hand-painted with the original blues, yellows, and greens of the traditional Renaissance era.

Who makes this piece?
The Tommassini workshop in the hills of Deruta, Italy. Tommassini is a family-owned workshop — father, wife, and son working together — that produces hand-painted Italian majolica utensils, pepper and salt grinders, olive oil bottles, and glassware. The stainless steel tong head is made by EME, Italy's leading luxury flatware company, and combined with the Tommassini ceramic handle.

Can I still order this if it shows out of stock?
Contact Biordi at (415) 392-8096 or customerservice@biordi.com to check on availability and lead times for the Tommassini workshop.

Is it really hand-painted?
Yes. The ceramic handle is hand-painted by a single artisan at the Tommassini workshop in Deruta, 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.

How do I care for this utensil?
Hand wash recommended. Combined ceramic-and-steel pieces shouldn't go in the dishwasher — the heat and detergents can damage the join between the ceramic handle and the steel hardware over time, even though the ceramic itself is dishwasher safe in isolation.

Can I mix this with other Deruta patterns?
Yes — Ricco Deruta is built to coordinate with Antico Deruta, Raffaellesco, Siena, Orvieto Green Rooster, and Bordato.

Is this a good Italian wedding gift?
Yes — a hand-painted Italian serving utensil is a practical, daily-use wedding gift that puts a piece of Deruta on the table. 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.

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. 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 on this Tommassini utensil isn't available, but Biordi offers customization and personalization on select pieces from other workshops. 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.

Ricco Deruta — This is Biordi's most popular pattern for classic Italian dinnerware. The design on this 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. It has been Biordi's undisputed best-selling Italian pottery and majolica for over 60 years.

Tommassini workshop, Deruta — Tommassini is a family-owned workshop in the hills of Deruta, Italy. Father, wife, and son work together creating hand-painted Italian majolica utensils, pepper grinders, salt grinders, olive oil bottles, and glassware. The ceramic body of each piece is hand-painted at Tommassini in Deruta and combined with high-quality stainless steel hardware to give a finished product that's both visually rich and built for daily use in the kitchen. For utensils, the stainless steel is made by EME, Italy's leading luxury flatware company.

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.