Bella! Bella! Bella! Beautiful Country, Beautiful Culture, Beautiful Craftsmanship!

After visiting Italy four times and falling in love with the country, people and the incredible pottery, Dennis and Cathy Craney decided to bring some of the unique ceramic pieces back to Nashville to sell in her antique business.  Being a kitchen designer, Cathy particularly liked the pieces that centered around “hospitality” such as biscotti jars, olive oil decanters, serving bowls and especially the wine coaster sets with matching corks.  After closing the antique business and starting the website, their inventory expanded and they added a wider selection of each type – including additional styles of table top serving pieces in vibrant and beautiful colors!

Most of the pottery is made in Deruta and sold from quaint shops in Assisi.  Some pieces are “one of a kind” and signed by the artist.  Others are time-tested patterns of the same quality and all are hand-made and hand-painted.  Each is of “heirloom and keepsake” quality. They have now added several pieces from a producer in Florence that reflect a different style and pattern that they believe is a good compliment to the older pattern styles.

History of Italian Majolica

Italian craftsmen have been making pottery since the 9th century and the artisans in Deruta (the Tuscany/Umbria region) have become known as masters of the trade.   Making use of it’s most valuable natural resource, the red clay of the Tiber River, this small medieval city, fifteen miles from historical Assisi, has continuously produced the highest quality majolica/maiolica in Italy.  Artists have carefully reproduced the detailed and distinct patterns of the Renaissance, along with some modern adaptations, creating a unique and vibrant product that is as functional as it is beautiful!