{"product_id":"uccellino-square-sushi-plate","title":"Uccellino Square Sushi Plate 4\" x 4\"","description":"\u003ch4\u003eDESCRIPTION\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cstrong\u003eUccellino Square Sushi Plate\u003c\/strong\u003e is hand-painted by \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/susanna-desimone\"\u003eSusanna DeSimone\u003c\/a\u003e at her family's studio — \u003cstrong\u003eFabbrica della Ceramica\u003c\/strong\u003e — in Palermo, Sicily. A little bird in flight — yellow head, red body, green and blue wings and tail — is drawn in the free, confident cubist line the DeSimone family has been known for since Giovanni DeSimone worked alongside Pablo Picasso. \"Uccellino\" means little bird.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt 4\" x 4\", it is sized for a few pieces of sushi, a small bite at cocktail hour, a pat of butter, or soy sauce and wasabi. Between meals it works as a ring or trinket dish on a dresser or desk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach Susanna DeSimone piece is hand-crafted, hand-glazed, and hand-painted in Palermo, so no two are ever identical. Buy one as a gift, or collect a few to set one at every place on the table.\u003c\/p\u003e\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\u003ch4\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4\" x 4\" (9 x 9 cm)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hand-painted Sicilian majolica (tin-glazed earthenware)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMade in:\u003c\/strong\u003e Palermo, Sicily\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWorkshop:\u003c\/strong\u003e Susanna DeSimone, Fabbrica della Ceramica\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePattern:\u003c\/strong\u003e Uccellino — a little bird in flight in yellow, red, green, and blue, a Susanna DeSimone original\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeritage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sicilian majolica in the cubist-folk style of Giovanni DeSimone\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUses:\u003c\/strong\u003e Sushi plate · small appetizer or dessert plate · soy sauce or butter dish · ring or trinket dish\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCare:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dishwasher safe · Some collectors prefer hand-washing to preserve color brilliance over decades of use · Not microwave safe · Not oven safe · Food-safe (lead-free glaze)\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSold as:\u003c\/strong\u003e Individual plate\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMixes with:\u003c\/strong\u003e Other Susanna DeSimone pieces, and the Il Mio Tavolo stoneware line\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSignature:\u003c\/strong\u003e Each piece signed by Susanna DeSimone; bears the \"Fabbrica della Ceramica\" studio mark\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eQuestions buyers ask\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it a sushi plate, an appetizer plate, or a trinket dish?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll three. It is food-safe and made for the table — sushi, small bites, sweets, soy sauce, or butter — and it is just as pretty holding rings or keys.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs Susanna DeSimone dishwasher safe?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes — Susanna DeSimone pieces can be cleaned in the dishwasher and the glaze holds up well. Some collectors prefer hand-washing for the most cherished pieces to preserve color brilliance over decades of use. Not microwave or oven safe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's the difference between Susanna DeSimone and Giovanni DeSimone?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGiovanni DeSimone founded the studio in Palermo and worked alongside Pablo Picasso, who loved his innovation of using bright red in glazed ceramics. Susanna DeSimone is Giovanni's daughter and continues the studio today as Fabbrica della Ceramica. She paints in a similar cubist-folk style with her own palette and signature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this a good Christmas gift?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes. This little bird plate, hand-painted by Susanna DeSimone in Palermo, Sicily, is an easy Italian Christmas gift — a stocking stuffer, a hostess gift for holiday dinner, or a small piece for the table that stays out all year. Order by December 15, 2026 for ground shipping in time for Christmas, or add Florentine gift wrap at checkout and we'll send it ready to give.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat's a good Christmas gift for someone who loves to cook?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA small hand-painted Italian plate they'll actually use. The Uccellino Square Sushi Plate by Susanna DeSimone is food-safe, signed by the artist, and right-sized for sushi, small bites, or a dish of olive oil.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this a good Italian wedding gift?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes — as part of a set or alongside a larger serving piece. A signed, hand-painted plate from a historic Palermo studio is a gift the couple will use for years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs this a good housewarming or hostess gift?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYes. It is small, useful, and unmistakably Italian — an easy gift to bring to dinner. We gift-wrap on request and ship nationwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy buy Italian gifts from Biordi rather than other retailers?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBiordi 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, Geribi, Bucci Ceramiche, Ortigia Sicilia, Italesse, and Salviati.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCan this be customized or personalized?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCustomization 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\u003ch4\u003eARTISAN STORY\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Susanna DeSimone artistic tradition was founded in Palermo, Sicily, by her father \u003cstrong\u003eGiovanni DeSimone\u003c\/strong\u003e — a renowned and innovative artisan known for intense colors and a cubist drawing style similar to Pablo Picasso. Early in his career, Giovanni DeSimone worked alongside Picasso, and the two shared an innovation: the use of bright red in glazed ceramics, which Picasso loved. \u003cem\u003e\"I express what comes through my imagination, filtering old and new memories, comparing my experiences and my understanding,\"\u003c\/em\u003e Giovanni DeSimone wrote in 1991.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBiordi Art Imports was the first US distributor of Giovanni DeSimone's work\u003c\/strong\u003e — a relationship that continues today with his daughter, \u003cstrong\u003eSusanna DeSimone\u003c\/strong\u003e, who carries the tradition forward. Her limited production bears her signature alongside the studio's new name, \u003cstrong\u003eFabbrica della Ceramica\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"DE SIMONE","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67962079576117,"sku":"6817","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1001\/9802\/files\/Hand-paintedbirdtileonwhite-2_1.png?v=1794527934","url":"https:\/\/biordi.com\/products\/uccellino-square-sushi-plate","provider":"Biordi Art Imports","version":"1.0","type":"link"}