Tall decorative clay pot with handles - Fornace Masini

Orcio Oliva Festonato is a beautiful terracotta planter suitable for decorating gardens, terraces, and homes.

This terracotta vase is handcrafted by our artisans and is decorated at the top with only two handles and two festoons of fruits and flowers that embellish the object.

Its name derives from its shape, which is slightly elongated and resembles an olive.

It dates back to Etruscan times when it was used as a container for oil, wine, and other food products. 

The decorated olive jug is suitable for storing any type of flower, plant, or shrub. The good breathability of terracotta combined with thermal insulation and slight moisture release from watering keeps the roots and plants in excellent health.

The terracotta vase is a valuable piece of furniture that adds beauty and elegance to your garden or home. It can also be used as an umbrella stand.

Like all other products from the Masini Terrecotte Artistiche series, the terracotta vase is weather-resistant, up to -25 °C.

The size and color of the vase/planter, as shown above, may vary slightly due to the handcrafted nature of the product, making each piece unique in the world.

Incredible quality clay and ancient terracotta techniques are synonymous with Fornace Masini. Their kiln has been operating since 1938, making it one of the oldest in the area. Since then, from generation to generation, Masini has been committed to offering and guaranteeing products that combine beauty and craftsmanship with functionality and durability. Every artifact is a unique work of functional art.

There are many terracotta processing techniques, each with its own secrets, history, and artisans. The brand crafts clay using 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 perfect for interior decoration, but due to the natural proximity 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 artisan's touch and the vitality of tradition are clearly visible.

Terracotta imprints have 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 feature results from 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 planter elevated and ensure the drainage hole is not blocked;

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

3. Empty and possibly invert “saucers” or vessels 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 coverage 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 the imprunetina clay, which appear during firing, sometimes dominating one color, sometimes another.

Among the most distinctive chemical components is iron oxide, which allows the fired product to take on its characteristic red hue.

Since 2005, the company has been a founding member of the Impruneta Historical and Artistic Stove Association, which is committed to promoting quality and culture. It is recognizable by its brand, which guarantees the highest standard for each piece, clearly attributed to the irreplaceable touch of craftsmanship and the vibrant strength of tradition.