CMA | Vetrine dell'Artigiano Artistico

CMA

Eleonora's jug

This fine version of the traditional brocca pintada (painted jug) is dedicated to Eleonora d’Arborea, an important female figure in local history, represented with virtuosity in the lavish decoration with plastic additions.

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Cockerel vases

The original lines of the vasi galletto (cockerel vases) revisit, with essential style and distinctive artistic trait, the form of one of the most popular and represented animals in the local decorative iconography.

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Heart line centrepiece

The decoration of the large centrepiece plate revives with harmonious elegance the motif of the heart, su coro, used traditionally in the spouses’ exquisite ceremonial bread as a well-wishing symbol.

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Bell-shaped vases

The essential lines of these vases are inspired by the Sardinian bell-shaped pre-Nuragic culture, as can be seen in the distinctive shape of the borders, decorated with parallel bands in delicate gradations in earth tones.

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Scivedda

The scivedda, a typical object of the local tradition, is revisited with the distinctive CMA style, characterised by the engraved lapwing decoration, which is expressed in an elegant stylistic composition, and enriched by ceramic glazing in green and blue shades.

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The artisan

The Cooperativa Maestri d’Arte, CMA, is a successful artisanal ceramics workshop founded in 1980 thanks to the intuition of a group of graduates from the School of Art of Oristano, a town renowned for its precious tradition of pottery for both everyday use and special occasions. Over the years, the various partners of this cooperative company have maintained a clearly recognisable style and identity, expressed through the lathe-shaping craftsmanship, enriched by engraved decorations, characterised by the range of colours and the personal stylisation of the lapwing. Antonello Atzori and Angela Zoccheddu are the current master ceramists of CMA. Antonello, one of the founding partners of the cooperative, resumed his work at CMA after a long period of personal training as “artisanal designer” at the European Institute of Design in Cagliari and a period as a teacher and also individual experimentation as a ceramist. After graduating at the School of Art of Oristano and other design courses, Angela joined CMA when she was still very young, contributing in terms of skill, insight and entrepreneurship. The typical production, a guarantee of excellence, continues thanks to skilful new experimental paths taken by the two ceramists with their distinct creative personalities. The CMA premises are in the prestigious former Pilot Centre I.S.O.L.A. in Oristano and its productions are promoted in the main fairs and exhibitions of craftsmanship excellence as well as in the shops of the main tourist centres across the island.

The collection

The current production consists of both the traditional lathe-shaped artefacts of the cooperative, and the personal proposals of the two ceramist partners. With the Terra line, Antonello revisits forms inspired by archaic bell-shaped expressions of the pre-Nuragic culture, while objects and inspirations linked to the local ceramic tradition characterise the varied and elegant Galletti (cockerels) line. Angela revisits with taste and knowledge the Brocca della sposa (the bride’s jug) with personal historical and religious variants, the line of lamps inspired by the Bottoni in filigrana (filigree buttons) of the local goldsmith’s tradition and the Cuore (Heart) line inspired by the spouses’ bread moulds and wrought iron works. Grouped into several lines, the ceramics crafted by CMA which perpetuate the traditional trademark, feature traditional sgraffito motifs against a white background or green-blue or ochre and earth colours, and include many items of tableware, table sets, vases and containers of different sizes, decorative objects, appliques, ceiling lights and lamp bases. Each product can be customised and can also be made with non-toxic finishes depending on its specific use.

The technique

In the large showroom/workshop, most of the creations are lathe-shaped; some are plate-shaped, moulded, also additional manual plastic moulding is performed. Enamelling and glazing can be done by immersion, airbrush or sprinkling. Slip is skilfully performed. Decorations can be made with terracotta and wood stamps and with sgraffito and brush engravings.