THE SECRET OF HANDCRAFTED CERAMICS
In the workshop of Sergio Leoni there
is a large pit, resembling a sunken
vase, where clay and kaolin are kept
constantly on the move.
The revolving blades are stopped only occasionally, for a few moments, to cool the mixture. The clay mixture never rests, not even on holidays: it moves to the same serene, tireless rhythm that has accompanied our craftsmen’s activity for generations.
Our working techniques are deeply rooted in the ancient traditions of Italian ceramics, and have remained unchanged since the 50’s. Time may have changed many things, but not this mixture: like sour dough, clay and kaolin are constantly added and removed from the pit, without ever stopping or running out.
The recipe of the mixture is a secret, of course.
A formula that our craftsmen have gleaned from years and years of labour: their main resource, along with their hands, for creating works that combine the art of pottery modelling with the technical aspects of a contemporary stove.
The revolving blades are stopped only occasionally, for a few moments, to cool the mixture. The clay mixture never rests, not even on holidays: it moves to the same serene, tireless rhythm that has accompanied our craftsmen’s activity for generations.
Our working techniques are deeply rooted in the ancient traditions of Italian ceramics, and have remained unchanged since the 50’s. Time may have changed many things, but not this mixture: like sour dough, clay and kaolin are constantly added and removed from the pit, without ever stopping or running out.
The recipe of the mixture is a secret, of course.
A formula that our craftsmen have gleaned from years and years of labour: their main resource, along with their hands, for creating works that combine the art of pottery modelling with the technical aspects of a contemporary stove.
>>> Watch the video to discover the creation of a Leoni.
PLASTER MOULDS The ‘mixture’, called clay slip, is hand–cast in plaster moulds, following a technique unaltered over centuries.
Even the moulds are hand–made, and are used to produce only a limited number of items, after which they are remade.
This process is one of the most complex and critical of Sergio Leoni’s workshop, and is carried out only by the most skilled craftsmen.
On the quality of this operation depends the perfect success of the final product.
TOUCHING UP BY HANDAfter that, the artefact is removed from the mould and is left to dry for several hours. All decorations and mouldings are then touched up by hand, to remove even the slightest imperfection.
It’s a slow and meticulous process that can be accomplished only through an unconditional love for detail. No machines or technical short–cuts are employed: the craftsman’s experience, patience and dexterity are all that matter. Because the most uncompromising critic, and the first to be satisfied with his work, is the craftsman himself.
DECORATIONThere is no set method for painting stoves a specific shade of colour, other than invariably finding the right combination of pigments.
In fact, the natural oxides used in the Sergio Leoni workshop change in colour after firing in the kiln. All our stoves are painted by hand with a skill that only the most experienced decorators possess, in true “Ars Canusina” tradition: the art of pottery dating back to the heroic figure of Matilde of Canossa, Countess of medieval Tuscany.
THE "SUIT"The ceramic lining should fit the stove like a custom–made suit. This philosophy governs the creation of each component of the stove, which is ‘tried on’ after it is completed, to ensure that ultimately all the pieces will fit together perfectly.
The concept of mass production does not belong in Sergio Leoni’s corporate philosophy: every stove is pretty much a unique piece, whose production time frame is far removed from industrial logics.