Ceramic Umbrella Stand with Fruit Motif

We call it a portaombrelli, and in our shop this is one of the pieces people tend to stop and look at for a while. It stands about 55 cm tall, shaped like a traditional amphora with two small handles on the sides and a wide mouth at the top. Our artisans in Vietri sul Mare hand-paint every detail freehand — no transfers, no shortcuts.

The decoration has two wide bands of fruit painted on a deep cobalt blue background. You'll see lemons, pomegranates split open to show their red seeds, and clusters of golden grapes, all woven together with green leaves. Between these fruit bands, there are green lattice-patterned sections with small dark crosshatch marks. The rim has a wavy blue and green border, and the base fades to white with blue line details.

Most customers buy it for umbrellas by the front door, which is what it's made for. But we've also seen people use it for long-stemmed flowers, walking sticks, or just as a floor piece on its own. It has good weight to it — about 10 kg — so it won't tip over easily.

Each one is made in a small batch and painted by hand, so you'll notice slight differences in brushwork from piece to piece. That's the nature of handmade ceramics from Vietri, and honestly it's what makes them worth having.