A year ago, collectors and dealers in Italian pottery welcomed with open arms the Del Pellegrinos’ Italian Pottery Marks From Cantagalli To Fornasetti, it being the first reference work in English to address the history and illustrate the marks of Italian ceramicists from that period. The effect of this work was immediate and widespread, significantly enlarging at one stroke the collecting market in modern Italian pottery.

Emboldened by their success, the Del Pellegrinos have now published the first in their projected series of in-depth guides to regional Italian ceramics, Italian Pottery Marks: Faenza, the City of Ceramics. And they have made another winner.

Like its predecessor, this work is the only such in English and provides, most importantly, a thorough pictorial index of dated makers’ marks for the many potters of Faenza. This time, though, detailed discussions of each studio’s history are provided in a separate section, making the guide even easier to use in the midst of a buying spree.

The book is easy to use and pretty to look at. Well written and clear, the text is accompanied throughout by excellent photographs and maps. Enthusiasts will also welcome the guide’s brief histories of the region itself, the city’s artistic past, and its famous international ceramics competition. The work is rounded out with introductions to some of Faenza’s best contemporary studios, a selective bibliography of publications and websites, and —- perhaps most useful to the novice collector —- beautifully illustrated examples of Faenza’s common motifs and decorations.

The authors are to be praised for their continued fervent dedication to scholarship and art and congratulated upon another bravura performance. Those of us who buy, sell, and collect Italian ceramics are grateful for this work and look forward avidly to the rest of the series!