Manufacturing

Once glazed and dry, the objects can be decorated by hand, with airbrush, with screen printing, with digital printing, etc. Decorating with the brush requires a lot of experience, because the true color is seen after cooking and because it is painted on a dusty surface (glaze) and it is important to spot the exact density of the color in order to avoid imperfections

For a few years in Ceramiche Liberati Laboratory has been adopted a new decorative technique with embroidered glazes from the sought after decorative motifs and the bright colors. The decoration with ceramic digital printing, commonly called photoceramics: on the already glazed and vitrified object the previously printed image is applied, the object goes directly to the phase of the three-phase firing. Combining tradition and innovation in the Ceramiche Liberati Laboratory, various hand-made decorations are made of both local and modern features that follow the current design trends. It is difficult, if not impossible, to describe all the possible decorative variations that can be made on our ceramic production, since on several occasions the customers themselves require customised decorations and, in some cases, exclusive. Here we suggest some ceramic decorations that have become representative:

Fioraccio – is the most representative floral decoration in Abruzzo. t is usually made on kitchenware: jars, plates, ladle sticks, coffee cups, trays, bowls, biscuits, etc… The decoration consists in drawing by hand seven wild flowers typical of the territory on the glazed object in clear tones. Several ceramists in our region make this decoration, but from the vibrancy of colors it is possible to recognize the “fioraccio abruzzese” of Ceramiche Liberati. For more information on the history and meaning of this decoration, we recommend reading the blog article on ceramics “Fioraccio abruzzese: simbolo d’Abruzzo”.

Orchidea(orchid) – is one of the leading floral decorations handmade by our Laboratory. The name “Orchidea” is decorated with the same flower, which is reinterpreted with a three-color petals painting with orange pistils surrounded by green leaves and pink buds. The decor represents a floral painted color, usually centered on the glazed object, the color of the ceramic glaze used is ivory. Orchid flowers have a typical winged structure, with open and flattened petals, which, depending on the species, differs in size and color of the flower. In the ornate decoration of Liberati ceramics, the polychromatic floral band is enclosed in the design with swaying lines or bows of green and yellow color. For every object, usually functional ceramic for home and kitchen furnishings, the orchid floral band is proportionally resized to the shape of the object itself. The orchid, in addition to the unquestioned beauty as a flower, has an important history and a particular charm. Aesthetically perfect, the flower represents elegance, refinement and harmony. The orchid-inspired floral motifs, spread all over the world with dozens of variations, are chosen as a gift especially as a sign of respect, love and act of recognition and gratitude to the person to whom they are donated. Example of hand-decorated items with “Orchidea” decoration.

Rustico –

Oriente – è uno dei decori floreale realizzati a mano dal Laboratorio Ceramiche Liberati. Solitamente con questo decoro vengono dipinti oggetti in ceramica che rientrano nella categoria oggettistica funzionale per la casa e per la cucina, ad esempio, piatti, vassoi, portaombrelli, orologi da muro, ecc. Il decoro Oriente è caratterizzato da una fascia floreale arricchita da boccioli, petali e peduncoli che si intrecciano tra di loro in una corona di fiori dalle tonalità del blu e dell’oro. La rappresentazione del fiore principale, formato da uno stilo di colore giallo oro con quattro petali blu alla base, si ispira alle eleganti forme del fiore iris. Su oggetti di diverse forme e con diverse dimensioni il decoro viene ridimensionato proporzionalmente alle misure della superficie da decorare. Talvolta, la fascia floreale Oriente viene racchiusa nella cornice di linee ondulate dal colore caldo e dei puntini blu posizionati sulle estremità delle ondulazioni che, nell’insieme, danno una continuità al decoro. Esempio di manufatti decorati a mano con il decoro “Oriente”.

Teate blu – is the floral bouquet of Ceramiche Liberati, which was conceived in honor of the Province of Chieti. In fact, the word “Teate”, a Latin version of the original Theate or Tegheàte, defines an ancient Marrucini center that corresponds to today’s Chieti. “Teatino” is defined as a citizen, inhabitant of the city of Chieti. The rich and ancient history of the city and the Province of the same name, which is distinguished by the impressive architectural and natural beauties, in addition to the wonderful landscapes, inspired our Workshop to realize and dedicate it an elegant and simple decoration in its symbology. Our ceramic production with Teate decor is characterized by light background, in fact the enamel used is antique white, while the painting is a monochrome floral motif that exploits the shades of blue. On all the ceramic production made by Ceramiche Liberati, the painting Teate is represented as a monochromatic flower band in the central position, with swaying or arched lines that enclose the drawing. The painted flowers are small five-petals daisies, which are interwoven with twigs of soft curves, all enriched by oblong leaflets. One of the recognizable elements of the Teate decoration is the presence of the series of dots (four or five), painted with determination, on the curvature of the peduncle within the floral band. Example of hand-decorated ceramic items with the “Teate” decoration.

Irlanda blu e verde –

Astra –

Grappolo –

Frutta –

Violetta –

Geometrico –

A poise –

A matita o gessetto –

The three-phases cooking is a special cooking around 770°, it is done on already vitrified objects. Our ceramic production involves decorations that can be made with pure gold, platinum, shiny or specially coloured colours…

• Reflection Processing: it is a technique that uses glazes with different characteristics and colours. In the gas oven (indispensable for this kind of process) oxygen reductions are induced which allow glazes to create iridescend and very special reflections. Master Giuseppe Liberati, with his skills and continuous study of technique, obtains unique creations of its kind. Example of modern ceramic artifacts decorated with the reflective technique.
• Raku Ceramics: It is an ancient Japanese technique, created for the production of the tea ceremony cups. In the Ceramiche Liberati Workshop, the technique is practiced by Giuseppe Liberati who with his “raku alchemy” creates real works of art. Raku processing is a complex process, which begins with the preparation of refractory or semi-refractory clay. The baking object is cooked in a gas oven, once the required temperature is reached, the oven is opened and the extracted objects, still incandescent are immersed in a tank containing combustible material (sheets of paper, dry leaves, sawdust etc.) which, by burning, produce a reduction in oxygen required to obtain those colorings typical of raku ceramic. Then, they are immersed in cold water and carefully washed to eliminate the signs of combustion and to bring out the beauty of the colors. The extraction process is quite scenic and spectacular, and more and more often, Master Giuseppe is invited for demonstrations during artistic events and beyond.
  Example of artifacts and ceramic works made with the raku cooking technique.
• Bucchero: It is of Etruscan origin and consists of baking very well-polished objects (so as to make them almost raw) in a reducing (oxygen-free) oven to give the object a homogeneous black monochrome.
• Ceramic sculpture (high reliefs, law-reliefs and all-around): this ceramic production tecchnique involves the modeling of the free clay with the help of some tools such as slats and eyelets. Free-hand work takes many hours of work and requires remarkable precision and ability. Once the modeling phase is over, before the cooking phase is completed, the work is dried (depending on the size of the object, it may take several weeks to complete). Once in terracotta you will decide whether to proceed with the second cooking or leave it as such. Example of ceramic sculptures.
• Mixed Technique: in our laboratory, devoted to continuous experimentation and research, we also carry out “experimental” processes of ceramic production, using different techniques at the same time, even glazes and colors of their own composition as well as alternative materials. The term “mixed technique” refers to all artistic works created by using materials other than conventional ones. Ceramic artifacts and creations with mixed techniques.