Antica Siena has been handcrafting Sienese ceramic, one of the oldest art forms, since 1979. This material presents very ancient origins : already in prehistoric times, man worked clay and cooked it to induce it to keep its shape (it was mostly bowls and vases ). In modern society, ceramic is there only tangible testimony that remains of ancient civilizations. What makes it so popular today is its plasticity which, when mixed with water, becomes soft and retains the shape it is given. T. All our works of art are handmade by professional experts who, with great care and passion, are able to produce wonderful and unique furnishing accessories and tools. Below, we explain our ancient method of processing.
The working of the ceramics of Antica Siena
Our work involves a series of steps that are always carried out with great rigor and discipline. First of all, we mix the ceramic and we check that there are no impurities.
After that, let’s proceed with the shaping : it is an extremely delicate operation that serves to give the shape of our object.
First firing of the ceramic
When the shape is ready, we move on to the first firing: in an oven we insert the ceramic that fires to one temperature of 1040 degrees . During this phase, the ceramic becomes hard and very resistant. In fact, you must know that, in contact with high temperatures, ceramic comes to life: the water evaporates and gives way to the fire that fixes the shapes of our work of art. The first cooking is, in a nutshell, to give life to ceramics .
Decoration of Sienese ceramics
Once taken out of the first kiln, the ceramic is subjected to decoration and glazing. We at Antica Siena make all the decorations freehand, giving them uniqueness. The objects in our collections are in fact all different from each other. For decoration, we use underglaze, overglaze colors and brushes of various sizes. What are we inspired by? To the collections of the past, to the history of Siena , its culture, its architecture and also to Sienese private collections.
Sienese ceramic glazing
After the decoration of our works of art, we move on to enamelling. The latter is obtained by immersing the objects in tanks containing an enamel that adheres perfectly to its surface. The enamel has a fundamental function: it is a vitreous coating composed of silica, alumina and flux that serves preserve the object , revive the colors and make it even brighter. Thanks to this procedure, customers can wash many of our pieces even in the dishwasher without the risk of damaging the object.
Last firing of the ceramic
We apply the glaze on the ceramic after the first firing; then, we put the objects in a large oven at 980 degrees. This last step is to melt the glaze and turn it into a hard, waterproof coating . Furthermore, during the second firing, the colors, by firing at a high temperature, melt with the glaze and become even more brighter and more intense .
The result of this long work is a wonderful art that will give your home and your environments a new one light and beauty .
