Each plate in the Molleni collection is handcrafted in the workshop of Giuseppe, with the purest respect for the tradition of ceramists from the Florence region in Italy. A region rich in clay and famous for several centuries for the work of its ceramic craftsmen.
Giuseppe's workshop has been around for several decades. It combines the know-how of the artisans of the region with modern techniques which sublimate the work of artists.
Maison d'art de la table Franco-Italian, Molleni was created by Baptiste, a French business school student, in 2019. The creator explains that Italy, its landscapes, its flavors, its gastronomy, its traditions and aspects of his Dolce Vita, inspired him in the creation of the brand. Molleni is a concept that came about by chance: when Baptiste was eating in an Italian restaurant in Lille, France, he noticed the beauty of his plate and realized that it was an extraordinary job to create such works. of art for the table. He then decided to contact the producer Giuseppe, indicated on the back of the plate. Several discussions and meetings later, the brand was created.
The will of the creator is to promote the know-how of Italian ceramic artisans by making their work and their creations last. Molleni's values can be summed up in three words: friendliness, craftsmanship, generosity. Friendliness, because we love the mess of large tables, the simplicity of improvised meals around a pasta dish, or the pleasure of toasting limoncello. Craftsmanship, because even if Italian ceramic artisans with the required technicality and expertise are becoming increasingly rare, this is not a reason to part with them. We need to hire people and keep their historical know-how alive. Generosity, because thanks to their colors, their particular brilliance and their shapes, Molleni plates reflect the generosity of Italian culture with its cuisine, its people and its singing language.
Molleni plates are made by hand and with love. Each step of the process of creating a plate is entirely carried out in the workshop of Mario and Otello, created several decades ago. Respect for the tradition of ceramists in the Florence region, Italy, is at the heart of the brand's values. This very clay-rich region has been well known for hundreds of years for the quality and expertise of the ceramic artisans who reside there. Each of the stages in the manufacture of a plate requires great precision and mastery of the various techniques involved throughout the creation of a product. The first step is called modeling.
As its name suggests, this is the moment during which the shape of the plate is modeled. To do this, the plates, or rather the pieces of clay, are placed on a turntable. With their hands, the craftsmen form a hollow and create edges with their hands. Once finished, the "biscuit" is placed for drying and then in the oven at 1000 ° C for a first baking. Then comes the second step, that of decoration. The latter is one of the most important since it is at this moment that the plate comes to life, with colors, patterns and dynamic shapes.
The Molleni plates are washable by hand but also in the dishwasher, thanks to the “under-enamel” paint deposited between the second and the third stage. The last step, that of enameling, consists of depositing a thin protective layer on the previously painted and decorated plate. It sometimes happens that it is necessary to lightly sand the heel of the plate, in order to make it smooth and perfectly straight. After this step, the plate will be dried again, to remove the water and avoid possible risks of cracks, then it will be placed in the oven at 1000 ° C a second time.
Soon after they met, Baptiste and Giuseppe quickly worked on designs that were more streamlined and softer than the traditional designs of the region. They released their first collection, entitled Dolce Vita, comprising 7 plates in three different formats: the pizza format 32cm in diameter, the pasta format corresponding to a deep plate, and the antipasto format which is a classic plate. It is a real invitation to travel, you just have to choose the destination among the names of the plates: Roma, Capri, Verona, Taranto,… so many possibilities in the colors of Italy.
Each model relates to a city according to the personal impressions of the designer. For example, the Firenze plate is a model with green colors because the designer had a very green image of this city, located in the region of Tuscany. Each plate has its own little story, it's up to you to discover it!