European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 31, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Flowers and figures from Cap Dimonte in Italy Cut regions Story and photos by Lon Cabot Naples Bureau chief White porcelain figures glistened under fluorescent men and women Hunt cd Over trays of freshly mixed Clay and Hal finished workers fired Quick spurts of conversation at each other As they Laboured intently at their Art of creating known As italian Lla Dros by Cap Dimonte is Fine handcrafted Ceramic and Floral arrangements or elaborate renditions of horse drawn carriages arc All a part of the Art called the porcelain used to make most Cap Dimonte in Italy is imported from said Walter owner of the factory some say is the Best Cap Dimonte factory in the Naples Majellon employs 14 people in the Small business that has been passed Down through three generations of his family since it was established in mine is the oldest Cap Dimonte business in he but if a Young Man or woman were to ask my advice on getting started in the Cap Dimonte business i would Tell Majellon said Cap Dimonte production today has be come a costly and Tim consuming process which would be too much of an undertaking for anyone but an established the Cost of Cap Dimonte production is very High today because of the manpower needed to produce the intricate designs used in the Art and because the Cost of imported raw material is getting very he a waning interest in Cap Dimonte collecting on the part of foreigners has also played a big role in making the Art a fading business he but Cap Dimonte making is still undeniably True Art he works of Cap Dimonte in Majellon shop included Fig ures of men and woman Small children and scenes of Day today there is a feeling of life in those statues that portrays human sometimes with sometimes with said it takes As Long As 15 Days to produce an intricate piece of process varies depending on whether the final creation is a single piece or a composite of Many such As a Floral two different procedures Are used in our said Rosa a Majellon employee who has been Active in Cap Dimonte collecting and production for nearly 25 Cap Dimonte statues Are made using a Mold process liquid porcelain is poured in the reshaped Flowers or composite arrangements Are done by Mold ing each single piece of especially for Floral a a design is required to work she Floral designs and statue models Are created by graduates of Naples Cap Dimonte a Trade school that specializes in perpetuating the traditional Art of Capo i Monte Pelliccia said that As Many As 100 separate pieces of Clay must be Han formed to create one of the dozens of elaborate Floral arrangements that Bear the Majellon Cap Dimonte once Clay or porcelain figurines and designs Are shaped and there oven temperature varies according to the effect desired for each piece of Majellon the pieces Are first baked at about 185 degrees but when we want to create a shiny finish to our there baked a second time and the overt temperature is nearly colouring and decoration Are the final stages of the this is a bottle of what we Call liquid said Antonio an artist who works As a Painter in the Majellon Cap Dimonte Manfredi said the Small bottle of Brown liquid paint on top of a table he shares with another porcelain Decora Tor has a liquid Gold base which is used As a Highlighter for statues and Floral materials such As the Gold paint and imported raw porcelain As Well As the intricate process of creating the designs determine the retail Price of the handcrafted our prices Range from lire about to As much As lire about or 3million lire about for a piece As detailed As the horse drawn said Walter Majellon As he pointed to the or Nate piece prominently displayed in his Cap Dimonte ceramics and porcelain Are very much like an artists Majellon their value is in the degree of perfection they Are done Annamaria Esposito of the Naples Bureau contributed to this Garden statuary at Majolica ranges from traditional to cover photo Page 13 shows a Potter at work in his studio at the Karlsruhe ceramics company vases and More from Majolica in Germany Story and photos by Leah Larkin features editor making Cap Dimonte is an intricate process it can take As Long As 15 Days to produce one above a worker adds a Petal to a Flower arrangement a decorator adds finishing touches to a vase finished pieces Are prepared for crazy concoctions of Clay Spring from the looking much like exotic plants gone wild from genetic expert huge Ceramic urns Are plopped amidst the Trees and pretty Turquoise Bird Baths lie in the grass like miniature swimming the Garden decor is part of the collection at the state Majolica manufacturing in in Side theres More to see and buy Wall plaques the company was originally founded in 1901 by grand Duke Friedrich of Baden As an experimental workshop to give architects and potters an Opportunity to develop their at various Well known artists have worked through the focus has shifted to Ceramic Majolica Majolica in English is a Type of richly decorated pottery popular in Mediterranean such As Italy and the ceramics made in Karlsruhe today include Majoli As Well As Basic pottery of All both Plain and there Are Oneo faking items individually designed and made by As Well As Mas produced styles Range from traditional to whimsical to artists workshops and showrooms Are All housed in buildings in the Schloss Garten Castle a Park behind a Castle which today houses the Badi Sches Landes museum state the Castle Park Complex is just on the Edge of the downtown area in Helga director of the explained that Majolica employs several artists while others work on a freelance the company has always been recognized for its Ceramic production for buildings and Homes tile Wall Garden although most of these products stay in Many Are shipped to special order customers around the including the United the smaller ceramics the Wall plaques and plates Are popular gift items often found in fancy they Are also for usually at a lower at the Karlsruhe for real Check out the room devoted to prices Range from As Little As 20 Marks about for Mas produced items to several thousand Marks for handmade works by individual for browsing or the showroom is open Mon wednesday and Friday from 8 until thursday from 8 until 6 and the first saturday of the month from 9 until 1 for groups of 10 or Tours can be arranged to visit the workshops and for Contact Staat Liche Majolica Manu fraktur Karlsruhe aha Weg 7500 Page 14 the stars and stripes july 1985 the stars and stripes Page 15