A beautiful sculpture of a boy made of terracotta - Fornace Masini

Il Fanciullo con Cesto  depicts an angel carrying a large basket of fruit on its shoulders.

The boy statue with the basket is proportionate and full of details, even if our attention is focused on the hand-crafted fruit basket.

Terracotta is perfect for outdoor and indoor use, although the greenery of a beautiful lawn is the element that best highlights the pinkish hue typical of Impruneta terracotta.

High-quality clay and ancient terracotta manufacturing techniques are synonymous with Fornace Masini. Their kiln began operations in 1938, making it one of the oldest in the area. Since then, generation after generation, Masini has committed to offering and guaranteeing products that combine beauty and craftsmanship with functionality, as well as durability. Every artifact is an exclusive work of functional art.

There are many terracotta processing techniques, each with its own secrets, history, and artisans. The brand creates clay according to ancient traditional methods. In the kiln, water, air, fire, and earth blend and embrace, creating unique objects of extraordinary beauty.

The entire range of “MASINI” vessels is ideal for interior decoration, but due to the natural closeness of the material to the environment and colors of nature, they are most happily used in garden furniture. Our products are recognizable by the brand that guarantees the highest quality of each item, where the unmistakable touch of the artisan and the vitality of tradition are clearly visible.

Impruneta terracotta has been used in the most important Florentine buildings, such as the Santo Spirito church, Sant'Ambrogio, the apartments of the Grand Duke at Palazzo Vecchio, the Santissima Annunziata monastery, Santa Trinita, and the Santa Maria Nuova and Innocenti hospitals. The entire “Fornace Masini” product range is resistant to extreme temperatures from –20 °C to desert heat. This durability is due to the highly valued clay mined in the Impruneta area, a town near Florence, between the valleys of the Ema and Greve streams. The extraction area is very limited—about 200 km—making the material’s value extraordinary.

Precautions to keep products in perfect condition for a long time

1. Use small wooden or terracotta supports to keep the pot elevated and ensure the drainage hole is not blocked;

2. Make sure water does not stagnate in containers used as cachepots or plant holders;

3. Empty and possibly turn over “saucers” or containers that collect water when temperatures approach 0 °C;

4. Wall and garden fountains should be emptied during cold seasons to prevent cracks or breaks caused by water freezing and expanding;

5. Do not move or lift pots when frozen and stuck to the ground, and do not use hot water to detach them—if necessary, use salt.

6. Prevent prolonged snow accumulation on products, as it may cause damage.

The color of each product is unique and differs from all others. This is due to the chemical and physical components of Impruneta clay, which appear during firing, sometimes dominating one, sometimes another.

The most notable chemical component is iron oxide, which gives the fired product its characteristic red hue.

Since 2005, the company has been a founding member of the Impruneta Historic and Artistic Kilns Association, which promotes quality and culture and is recognized by the brand that guarantees the highest standards of each object, where the unmistakable touch of the artisan and the vibrant strength of tradition are clearly evident.