I loved the richly painted ceramics that decorated the table for our meals on the cruise. Each of the pieces beautifully mixmatched with one another. These ceramics can be found in restaurants, cafes and shops all along the Amalfi coast. The brightly painted pottery, dishes, wall hangings, table tops and panels originate from Vietri sul Mare the first {or last} of the Thirteen pearls of the Amalfi . Each “pearl” has it’s own personality, attractions and speciality. By land, Vietri sul Mare is just over 50 kilometers from Naples.
As lovely as they were on their own, I couldn’t help the urge to find a little something more for our table settings. On a stop to the island of Limpari I came across these massive, mottled and misshapen lemons and knew it was just what we needed to add a little more life to the table.
I also found this classic blue and white striped linen scarf to serve as a runner. There are several volcanic islands in the Aeolians and many emit pumice stones {you can see some natural pumice stones in the basket behind the lemons in the image above}.
The decorative blue and white stones below are also made of pumice, each one is hand carved with a sea creature and painted with the name of the town, a nice little memento from our visit and a perfect addition to our Tyrrhenian Sea dinner table.
The classic motifs for this pottery are simple images from the country side and the sea in bright, sunny colors, but you can also find more complex patterns.
Visiting this popular coast by boat during the peak of the season provided us a welcome retreat from the crowds.
Someday I’d love to return by car, off season, and visit Vietre sul Mare, and the other 11 pearls to see what I can find.
But until that opportunity arises, the good news is that you don’t have to go to Italy to enjoy these dishes in your own abode.
There are a number craftsmen willing to create custom plates and dishes and ship them to you. I brought home a few small pieces from Ceramiche Parlato, they have a great comprehensive website and will ship all over the world, they also offer workshops so visitors can learn more about their art.
Absolute Positano has a big presence in town, the following shots of informative plates are from their store front. Click on the name to send them a message, if any of these images catch your fancy.
Caio Bellas!
Emily these hand painted ceramics are so artfully gorgeous!! I love the variety of patterns! The lemons and scarf also added a very nice touch. Perfect!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Featuring Sharon Santoni