Baroque Ceramic Tray with Fruit

In Italian we call it vassoio barocco — a baroque-style serving tray. It measures about 45 cm by 25 cm and has an ornate scalloped edge painted in teal, with two elaborate golden-ochre handles on each end. Our artisans in Vietri sul Mare shape and paint each one entirely by hand.

The border is covered with hand-painted fruit — bunches of blue grapes, yellow lemons, rosy pomegranates, and green leaves, all scattered on a white background with teal accents. The centre is left open with a clean white field framed by a thin ochre-gold line, which gives you a nice contrast between the decorative edges and the plain middle.

People use these for serving antipasti, bread, cheese, or fruit at the table. The handles make it easy to carry from kitchen to dining room. It also works well as a decorative centrepiece on a sideboard or a coffee table — just set a few candles or a small arrangement on it.

The baroque handles and scalloped rim are all done by hand, so each tray has its own character. If you look closely you'll see the brushstrokes in every grape and leaf. That's how you know it came from a real workshop, not a factory.