Contrade Personal Pasta Bowl: Panther

DESCRIPTION

A personal pasta bowl, hand-painted at the Staccioli workshop in Siena with the crest of Pantera — the Panther contrada. At 7.5" across and 2" deep it is the everyday bowl: pasta, soup, cereal, a bowl of olives.

Pantera sits at the western edge of the city. Its residents were traditionally grocers and chemists, its symbol is a rampant panther, and its colors are red, blue and white. Its allies in the Palio are Chiocciola, Civetta, Giraffa and Istrice.

Because Contrade is made in all 17 designs, personal bowls are the easiest place to give everyone at the table their own district — the shapes are identical, so the table still reads as a set.

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.

Specifications

Dimensions: 7.5" x 2"
Material: Hand-painted Italian majolica
Made in: Siena, Tuscany
Workshop: Staccioli
Pattern: Pantera (Panther) — red, blue and white, rampant panther
Heritage: The 17 contrade of Siena and the Palio, run in the Piazza del Campo since 1656
Care: Dishwasher safe · Food safe · Not microwave or oven safe
Sold as: individual
Mixes with: all other Contrade designs; the 10" Contrade serving bowl

Questions buyers ask

How big is a personal pasta bowl?
7.5" across and 2" deep — one serving. The 10" Contrade bowl is the serving size.

Can I order a set with a different contrada for each person?
Yes, and it is a common way to buy them. All 17 designs are produced; call Biordi at (415) 392-8096 and we will order the districts you want.

What is a contrada?
One of the 17 districts of Siena. Each has its own animal or symbol, colors, allies and rivals, and each runs a horse in the Palio in the Piazza del Campo — a race held twice a year since 1656.

Is this a good Italian wedding gift?
Yes, as a set of four or six rather than singly. A pair in two contrade — one for each of them — is a gift people remember.

Is this a good housewarming or hostess gift?
Yes. It is used daily rather than displayed, and needs no matching to the dishes they already own.

Why buy Italian gifts from Biordi rather than other retailers?
Biordi Art Imports has been San Francisco's source for authentic Italian ceramics since 1946 and is a San Francisco Legacy Business (#LBR-2020-21-029). Contrade ceramics are sold in only two places in the world: Biordi, and the Staccioli workshop on the Piazza del Campo in Siena. Pieces come directly from the workshops — FIMA, CF Deruta, Pia Formato, Eugenio Ricciarelli, Susanna DeSimone, Geribi, Bucci Ceramiche, Ortigia Sicilia, Italesse, and Salviati among them — never through a distributor.

Can this be customized or personalized?
Contrade pieces are produced to the district's fixed heraldry and are not personalized. Customization 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.

Artisan Story

Pantera — the Panther — Pantera lies at the western edge of Siena and was traditionally a district of grocers and chemists. Its symbol is a rampant panther and its colors are red, blue and white. In the Palio its allies are Chiocciola, Civetta, Giraffa and Istrice.

Staccioli, Siena (Tuscany) — During the Renaissance, Italian cities were divided into districts called contrade to supply troops. The most celebrated are those of Siena, where 17 contrade, each with its own animal or symbol, still compete in the Piazza del Campo in the Palio di Siena, a race dating to 1656. In 1986 Walter Staccioli began producing ceramics carrying the Contrade designs. Today his daughters Sonia and Jada carry the tradition forward. These pieces are found in only two places: Biordi Art Imports, and the Staccioli workshop at the Piazza del Campo in Siena.