CERAMICHE IL TAFANO
Ceramics created in the heart of the Chianti countryside
“Il Tafano'' is a craft workshop immersed in a truly breathtaking landscape. Here, ancient techniques give life to objects with a modern taste.
Spoiano, is a beautiful location immersed in the Chianti countryside surrounding Barberino Tavarnelle and it’s the home to the workshop of Catia Massai, an inspiring and traditional ceramist. The name Il Tafano (The horsefly) is a tribute to the location and to the ancient noble Barberini family who once lived there and whose coat of arms depicted three gadflies.
The workshop has been set up in an old barn: the work tables, the numerous brushes and the pieces of art that fill the shelves create an intensely creative atmosphere to fill your lungs with.
Furnishing and household items come to life through the colombino, an ancient almost forgotten technique that Catia Massai saved from the passing of time. Through it, she creates all different kinds of shapes and decorates them with the innate intuition of a ceramist: during the creation process, the colours are often hidden under layers of black and need firing to be, almost by magic, revealed. Each piece in its uniqueness is an absolute surprise.
INFO
Ceramiche Il Tafano
Via Di Spoiano, 8/a - 50028 Tavarnelle Val Di Pesa (FI)
www.ceramicheiltafano.it
info@ceramicheiltafano.it
In the showroom on the upper floor, many of the workshop's creations are on display and for sale. In a cosy attic room with a beamed ceiling, special objects and unconventional lamps can be admired. They represent a unique style that has become a recognisable signature over the years.
In her workshop, Catia Massai organises ceramics courses for adults and children where she shares the knowledge and tricks of the trade such as understanding if an object is fired correctly listening to the way it “rings”: a perfect opportunity to spend a few hours of manual creativity in a context of extreme beauty.
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