We are going to be in Rome and Sorrento in December and was wondering if anyone can recommend there fav place to buy pottery. I have started to collect pottery a few years ago and would like to get some while in Italy.
Any suggestions on getting it back? Should I pack it or send it home? What is a ball park price for a platter, mug, or decorative piece?
In Rome I saw 3-4" diameter plates for 3 Euros. Shipping from Europe to US costs a lot of money. I would pack it.
I'm sure you will find some pottery with lemons on it in sorrento. I'm going next week. I'll keep an eye out. Lemons are big in that area and I've noticed that it is a common pattern on regional pottery.
Price is going to depend on quality. You can find some really cheap pieces that are decorative. If you love it, buy it. If you want better, you can tell the minute you walk into a shop.
Sorrento has some in expensive pieces. If you want nice, original pieces, get thee to Ravello on the Amalfi coast. There are two shops in town, both owned by the same family. They make their stuff right there and have some beautiful collectible pieces.
I never buy more than I can hand carry. I don't want to pay for shipping, and worry about something getting broken. I usually buy one or two nice things that I can't live without.
A mug can run up to $25 US for good stuff. platter will depend on the size, but you are talking $100+ and the same for a nice decorative piece $100+, depending on size.
you can find really small collectibles that have no use but to look at them for less than $10.
I bought some beautiful canisters last trip and paid $75 each (they hold two kinds of salt by my stove) I paid $65 for an olive oil bottle a few years ago.
These prices were when the dollar was about where it is now. Italy is in a big depression, so prices may have gone up, even though our dollar is about where it was 3-4 years ago.
you can also ask for a discount if you buy more than one piece, and they will offer you the VAT refund on your purchase if it's over 100Euro (this could be up to 20%)
As far as Rome goes, it's not a small town, no small pottery shops that I saw, just cheesy plastic Forum and Vatican "collectibles".
Save your pottery/ceramica shopping for small towns.
You might also check into going to Orvieto for a day, they have a really nice shop (and some not so nice!) I bought the most beautiful "Biscotti" jar and matching bowl last year. $125 for the jar and $35 for the bowl. Not cheap, but I use both daily!
The BEST place for italian pottery in Derruta. The streets are lined on both sides with factories. We bought some pieces and shipped them home. One piece was broke, and we emailed the company and they sent a new one out the same day. Yes, it is expensive, but you need to realize it takes over 30 days to create one plate from start to finish. They are hand made...not on a form, hand dipped and hand painted. So you get what you pay for!
Deruta style platters, as I recall, easily started at about $100 and escalated quickly. Shipping can add to the cost considerably and was prohibitive, I thought. I finally bought 2, schlepped them around for 2 weeks, onto the airplane,through airports and inspections and nearly dropped them when I got home and saw the window of the storefront 1000 feet from my front door packed with every ceramic I had scrutinized from Assisi to Verona! But now we have both souvenirs and vicarious access to a stunning collection on the shopkeeper's dollar. Google "Deruta pottery" to get an idea of what costs can be online.
It's actually ceramics (ceramica) not pottery. It is quite expensive if you are looking for the things painted by hand........ for example, last year i purchased a wine carafe, olive oil and vinegar bottle and I paid $160.00 for the three. Don't ship anything home as you may or may not get it..............or, It will arrive broken. Also, it's very expensive to ship from Italy to the USA. Only buy what you can pack in your suitcase. Have fun!!!!
There is a very large shop in central Sorrento that has ceramics and furniture plus misc. cashmere etc.
YOu might ck it out.Can't miss it, altho can't remember name. not what you normally find here in USA. So if you want unique visit this place,average in cost. I have been to Deruta (Tuscany), Ravello (amalfi coast) etc and they export to USA so you see it in many places like Williams & Sonoma catalog etc.
Do not ship unless you do not mind paying lots and risking breakage.
Just a warning. We were in Sorrento the end of September and bought ceramics, inlaid wood and linens from a very large store called A. Gargiulo E Jannuzzi. They offer a wide selection and nice quality. They also offer free shipping on orders of $150 or more. We thought this was a great deal. WRONG! I believe they do this to avoid the rebate thing. We purchased our items on September 24th and still do not have them. The items go to a customs clearing house in New York and we had to pay an additional $56 for customs by check only and then you have to call them and give them your social security number over the phone. I finally received a notice that they shipped from New York yesterday and I should receive it in 7 days. We had other items shipped (including wine) from other parts of Italy and they all arrived within a week of our return.
I've bought pottery in Assisi and had it shipped back home; arrived intact. So experiences with shipping may vary.
As for Sorrento, make your own discoveries! Part of the fun of traveling is to explore the shops, find items you like, get a sense of what the good deals are, and then buy what tickles your fancy.
I am looking to buy an olive oil bottle and a mug. I am open to other items but these are the two essentials.
Laura, you may already know this if you collect pottery. Make yourself aware of the difference between low-fired and high-fired ceramics. You can tell by "pinging" your fingernail against a piece. It's hard to describe, but the sound is different. A cheaper piece fired at a lower temperature will often break in two if you look at it too hard. It might not make the journey home.
I just got back from that area. We bought some pottery in a little town on the coast. I spent 24 euro for a set of 6 limonechillo glasses and a matching plate, 25 for a patter and matching dipping bowl, and 15 for a rustic platter with cows (for my cowboy grandparents). I think you will pay a bit more than that in Sorrento. I wouldn't mess with shipping, i would rather just get a small (10 inch) platter and pack it in my bags.
I, myself, am an aficionado of pottery, and I always buy something when I'm in places where it's a specialty. Deruta is my favorite in Italy; but it may not be convenient for you, although it is day-trippable from Rome by car. There is a town near Sorrento named Vietri sul Mare, which, like Deruta, is totally devoted to the manufacture of ceramics. You can get to it by bus if you won't have a car. I suspect that there will be wide availability in Sorrento, as well. Vietri ceramics are more rustic than those of Deruta, but much of it is quite attractive. You can get an idea of prices by googling vietri ceramics and deruta ceramics. What you will see are prices here. It's much cheaper there. If your expenditure reaches the VAT refund minimum, ask the merchant to fill out the forms. We've always been offered an on-the-spot discount in lieu. A little low key bargaining is also totally acceptable. Something along the lines of "what price can you give me if I buy both . . ." will almost always prompt the offer of a 10% discount. We always bring things back. The merchants will bubble wrap for you. Shipping can double the cost.
