Imitation of Ottoman ornaments the Italian ceramics of the 14th – 20th centuries

This article is devoted to the Italian tradition of imitation of Ottoman ceramics from the 14th century to the beginning of the 20th century. The first period covers the pottery industry of the 14th and 15th centuries; the second period lasts from the end of the 15th century to the 18th century, and the last one is the industrial age, the end of the 19th – the beginning of the 20th century. The first period represents only regional touches and the use of similar artistic techniques and colors. The second period is illustrated with more specific examples, such as the use of the Turkish ornament «tugrech». And finally, the third period fully reveals the imitation and copying of Ottoman products, which occurs due to industrialization, the emergence of museums of decorative arts and world exhibitions. In search of inspiration, ceramics such as Cantagalli, the artist Pio Fabri and his daughter Emma Fabri are at the forefront of the renaissance of the «Ottoman style» in ceramics.