Pine cones ceramic from Caltagirone

Freshly baked, and believe me very hot 🥵🥵🥵, master Ripullo’s pine cones ceramic from Caltagirone entirely handmade following the ceramic processing techniques of Caltagirone.

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Ceramic pine cone

Caltagirone Ceramic Pine Cones are an ancient art that dates back centuries. The ceramic pine cone is a typical Sicilian decoration, but it is in Caltagirone that these decorative elements reach their maximum splendour. In particular, the Ceramic Pine Cones are a very common decorative element in the furnishings of the Sicilian tradition.

Ceramic Pine Cones

The history of ceramic pine cones dates back to the Arab era when ovens and clay from local quarries were used. With the tradition of ceramic pine cones we want to celebrate the mother figure and fertility. It is said that the “pine cone” represents the fruit of the knowledge of Ethics (vigilante), Sciences (dry), Civil Living (pungent), Theology (strong) and Art (crowned). Furthermore, the pine cone represents the “sacred representation of a luxuriant and vital nature, of an eternal renewal of humanity which continually reviews, in its natural cycle, the life that generates life”.

Today in Caltagirone there is no local festival or parade without local artists presenting the famous ceramic pine cone. Pine cones are elements of furniture and decoration, especially for “rustic” style furnishings, but they can also be found in modern and design environments.

The ceramic pine cone, like all creations of this type, is a work of art made by hand by skilled potters, who make use of ancient technologies, using painted terracotta, majolica, enamels and a sparkling imagination.

Trecentine Medan, Arturo Gagliardi defined them as “the addition of small sources of harmonies, of sinuous and direct lines, of bright and impersonal colours, the evolution of the ceramic pine cone has now taken the form of setting up the actual home in the as a whole.

Caltagirone ceramic pine cone has become an icon of the city itself, and a symbol of the Sicilian cultural and artistic tradition. The product is a highly appreciated craft all over the world, so much so that it is recognized as a Pigna in Ceramica di Caltagirone DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) by the Ministry of Agricultural and Food Policies.

Pine Cone Tradition

In Sicilian tradition, Pigne di Caltagirone are considered an emblem of good luck.

The symbolic value of Pinecones, however, is recognized in so many other civilizations.

In fact, in several countries, it has encapsulated symbolic meanings related to the tree that generates it. As the fruit of an evergreen tree, the pine cone has been compared to the symbol of immortality, fertility and regenerative power due to the seeds it contains.

Popular Sicilian tradition believes that it is useful to give ceramic pine cones from Caltagirone to wish good luck.

In conclusion, the Caltagirone Ceramic Pine Cones represent a unique artistic tradition that dates back centuries, but which has been able to evolve over time becoming an element of design and decoration appreciated all over the world. Today the artisan production continues to be handed down from generation to generation, guaranteeing the survival of this ancient tradition and Sicilian culture in the world.