Banchetto Contemporaneo is the name of the collection spawned by Ceramica Made in Umbria, a project run by the Umbria Regional Council and the CEU, for the purpose of revitalising the artistic ceramic segment, of which the area is a major exponent.
So the transverse aim of the initiative is to cast a new light on artistic majolica, while still adhering to tradition: the collection, whose design was overseen by Elisabetta Furin, a designer and lecturer at the Italian Design Institute in Perugia, draws inspiration from Umbria's classic mediaeval and Renaissance decorations, which it reworks from a contemporary angle.
More than 20 companies from the region contributed to the creation of the new line, and then transformed the resulting sketches and conceptual designs into prototypes.
The items produced belong to a wide range of product categories, from traditional tableware to contemporary design complements, gifts and interior and outdoor design. They include the Fiasche del Convento jug, the Bacile serving dish, the Quadrilobo ice-bucket, the Muffola candle-holder and the iconic San Francesco glazed ceramic tiles, which are also available in the form of a mat and which originally made up the flooring of the Church of San Francesco in Deruta and are still considered to be among the most artistically precious examples of Renaissance majolica.