The word “ginori” has long been a household name for Italians – this is how elegant, high-quality porcelain is often called, regardless of its manufacturer. The history of the Ginori porcelain brand began in 1735, when Marquis Carlo Andrea Ginori (1701-1757) founded a ceramic production in the family estate of Doccia in Tuscany. Sometimes Ginori porcelain is called by the name of this estate – Doccia porcelain. After the invention of European porcelain, having your own manufactory became a kind of fashionable fad and a prestigious matter in the circles of the European aristocracy. Not all such productions have stood the test of time, but the Ginori brand has been delighting customers with its products for almost three hundred years.

The production of boxes and snuffboxes was an important part of the factory’s products. The factory included a special “Laboratorio Argentieri”, founded in 1744-1745 for the production of metal frames. The idea of ​​creating boxes with relief portraits in imitation of classical cameos came from Padre Scolopio Don Alberto Papiani, who taught philosophy to the sons of the Marquis Ginori. The idea was that the snuff boxes would give their owners some insight into classical history, as well as being beautiful objects. On the lid of this box are depicted the Roman emperors, and on the sides are the kings of the Ptolemaic dynasty. The most prolific artist who created these boxes was the famous Giuseppe Romei. According to the archives, between 1743 and 1749 he was paid to paint at least 37 snuff boxes.

The company’s special pride is its figurines, miniature replicas of classical monumental sculptures of the 16th century by Michelangelo Buonarroti, originally conceived by Florentine sculptors to be cast in bronze. Each sculpture has more than a hundred parts, made and connected by hand.

By the end of the 19th century, the manufactory had grown into a solid industrial production facility with a staff of 1,000 people. During this period, neo-Renaissance tableware was extremely popular, and many porcelain manufacturers became interested in ancient glazing techniques, trying to achieve the effect of the famous red and gold gloss of Italian majolica. Not everyone managed to achieve the same success as on this dish of a rare, rich, iridescent canary yellow color.

The Ginori manufactory was famous not only for its sculptural forms, but also for the skill of its porcelain artists. Their drawings and ornaments are among the main treasures of the company’s archive. Among the signature Ginori paintings, the works of the famous architect and designer Gio Ponti, who headed the manufactory from 1923 to 1930, stand out for their unusual style. This is a series of designs with Amazons “Venatoria”, including scenes of hunting or rest.

Ginori masters today use the same techniques as in the 18th century: plaster molds are soaked in olive oil or Marseille soap, then a porcelain mixture is poured into them (kaolin, quartz and feldspar in verified proportions). Within 24 hours, the blanks are fired in kilns heated to 1000 degrees to obtain a rough porcelain, which the Italians call biscotto (biscuit). And the shine and gloss appear after the second firing, longer and even hotter.