Biordi Art Imports

Italy has blessed this earth w many fabulous brands…
Ferrari.
Bulgari.
Gucci.
And many fabulous drinks & dishes…
Campari.
Bellini.
Ravioli.
Biordi.
That last one is not a dish that you eat, but rather the dishes that you eat off of.
Biordi is to dishes what La Perla (also Italian) is to lingerie.
Each piece is painted by hand. The designs are so intricate & detailed. The colors are rich & gorgeous.

They have absolutely EVERYTHING.
Demitasse sets.
Salt & pepper shakers.
Vases.
Planters.
Umbrella stands.
Spoon rests.
Coffee mugs.
And of course… plates!
Even if you have another set (not by Biordi), & a piece is missing or damaged, they will match the pattern for you.
Yes, you can rebuild your nonna’s set!
Amazing.
A great place to get a wedding gift.
A great place to get a gift for your kitchen.
There are the other high end dish brands; but do you want to eat off those uniform & monochromatic pieces every single day?!
That would be like wearing a suit every single day.
Some days I really want to wear a slinky dress.
Or my favorite denim.
Biordi works for special occasions, & for just the occasion of you.
5 stars.

Gorgeous hand painted works of art that will become family heirlooms. This weekend I purchased two additional unbelievably beautiful and unique pieces that will grace my home for many years. They are worth the price considering how much mediocre, mass produced department store items cost. I would rather have one unique Italian piece from Biordi than a shelf full of average Macy’s pieces.
The shop is lovely and the customer service attentive and knowledgeable. These pieces are like potato chips — you can’t just have one. Once you start collecting, plan on returning for the ones you will dream about after seeing on your last visit.

Beautiful pottery

Gorgeous hand painted pieces! There was an artist sitting in the entryway painting a piece so we got to watch it done. Everything was pricey, but if you can afford it, the hand work is well worth the money.

AMAZING hand painted ceramics and unique tile designs here. Making a note to come back when I get paid the big bucks!

At the corner of Cristoforo Colombo Avenue, Biordi is the example of the Italian eye in art.
A purveyor of Majolica, a unique tin-​glaze style of handmade earthenware & pottery since the Etruscan era, Biordi has been making people coo in awe at the center of San Francisco’s North Beach (a.k.a Little Italy) since 1946. It was created by Emilio Biordi, who later passed on the business to Gianfranco Savio. Biordi remains a family owned & operated locally based business.
Biordi means ‘noblemen’ and that’s what you get in the pieces found here.
Noble, historic, proud, colorful, cherubic, intricate, elegant, romantic and at times, religiously inspired. And even rustic, primitive, simplistic, natural and *provinciale*. Majolica is quintessentially European.
Some say the term comes about from the Italian word for the island of Majorca. And by way of Mallorca (Majorca), the Arab Moors in Sicilia, at the time, sent their craftwork, resulting in this new form of European pottery. Others claim it arrives to us from the Spanish town of Malaga, meaning ”mélequa” or lustre, in reference to this lustreware of scenes on white opaque glazed pottery. Under Spanish rule in Mexico, a majolica (or maiolica) style was developed and entitled ”talavera”. It’s still a mystery of it’s exact origins. And that makes each piece even more intriguing.
The ceramic works of Italian artisans like Carlo Bellini, Susanna de Simone, Saura Vignoli (a.k.a Bottega Vignoli), Francesca Niccacci, FIMA, Bianco e Nero, Antonio Ranocchia, Gerardo Ribigini, Antonio de Franceso, Pia Fermato, Ivo, Mauro, Alberto, Natalia Dolfi, Eugenio Ricciarelli, La Mastro Giorgio, Brolli Ceramiche D’Arte, among many others, are available for purchase at Biordi. I particularly like Susanna de Simone & Saura Vignoli’s works. They all work with the precision of a focused surgeon.
The Italian cities of notable ceramica include Siena (hence where we get the term ‘burnt Siena’ color in art), Gubbio, Castelli, Palermo-​Caltagirone, Faenza («a magic word for majolica lovers»), Abruzzi, Rimini, Deruta & Geribi. For those who can’t afford the plane ticket, Biordi brings all these towns to you, in a very special, traditional keepsake of these places.
This shop is like a museum, and the pieces are fragile. You can purchase ones that «speak» to you for dinnerware, formal events or simply decorative purposes. Staff is helpful, descriptive and professional, too! Prices can be heavy on the budget, but would surely make pieces to pass on through the ages.
It’s a great piece of authentic Italia in the middle of North Beach.

I hate this place. Every time I come in here I wish I had more money. Maybe I should just play that game, «What wouldn’t I want to buy here?»

Wow. If someone ever wants to start a collection of beautiful handmade ceramic table ware, this is worth checking out. There are so many different designs, patterns and shapes, it’s almost an overload.
Don’t forget to check out the «discount rack» way at the back, too!

They say that once upon a time in ancient Rome, there were two rivaling families. One night, one of the families set out to sneak up on their rivals and attack them while they slept. Just as they were approaching the house, a rooster let out a loud crow, woke the family, warned them of their impending doom and allowed them to escape. From that moment on, the rooster earned the title of being a good luck charm to Italians. So when you see pitchers in the shape of roosters sitting on an Italian table, you now know why.
Why did I start with this story? Because a visit to Biordi Art Imports not only provides visitors with beautiful hand-​painted Italian ceramics but you’ll most likely leave with a new-​found knowledge of Italian history and if you’re anything like me, it will feel like you took a trip to Italy without leaving the US.
I’ve been visiting Biordi for several years now and the service, products and experience is always a 5 star experience. Be prepared to spend the money if you want the goods, because these products are in fact hand painted and imported from a small town in Italy, but if you are willing to save your pennies, you’ll leave with a one of a kind beauty for your home.
PS – if you’re traveling, you can avoid sales tax by shipping it to your home in another state and you can also shop online and order products to be shipped to you.
PPS — beware that if you want to special order something, it will take 4 – 6 months. The Italians have to hand paint them and ship them to SF after all!

When I was little my mother told me when going into these kinds of stores «Put your hands behind your back and DO NOT touch ANYTHING! Look with your eyes»
The imported Italian ceramics are intricate and like a work of art. My favorite things: The different rooster themed pitchers and dining settings. and the olive oil containers…
This is a place that I would splurge for a set to go in that dining room no one ever goes in (look but don’t touch) or a piece in my grandmother’s china press.

This is the real deal here. Unbelievably beautiful, handmade Italian dinner and housewares. Expensive and worth every penny. You will be swooning over the vast selection of patterns and one of a kind pieces. Last visit I saw a bowl that was completely covered in tiny sardines. Gorgeous !

Biordi’s is literally the first stop I make when come to San Francisco on my business and pleasure trips. Nestled into the most charming block of North Beach, the glorious storefront always welcomes me with open arms, as do the benevolent staff. I don’t know how many hours I’ve spent in the store over the years, but when I look at any piece of my collection Italian ceramics it seems there is a story and a memory associated with it. If a personal visit isn’t possible, the website is exceptionally designed with an enormous selection of high quality majolica.

Biordi’s is an amazing source of Italian pottery. There is nothing quite like walking into Biordi’s, as the store drips with ceramic. They have a new website up, which I totally recommend, as it shows the product really really well.

This place has the best selection of Italian ceramics outside Italy. Seriouslly. Desimone, Deruta, Contrade de Siena, etc… the place is chock-​a-​block full of beautiful things. It isn’t for the faint of heart though, it’s pretty spendy and I guarantee you will find something in here you can’t afford that will make your tummy hurt! :) It’s worth the risk though, there are some more affordable things. You can always save up too! The stuff here is quality and will last you.
Pick your poison and dive in girl! (and pick something up for me while you’re there :-P)

High end imported Italian hand painted ceramics. Very expensive… and man it must be worse with the dollar doing so bad against the Euro.

I’m Italian. Over the past 15 years I have purchased several dozen items here. All hand made, colorfully decorated. Each item adds real charecter to my kitchen & dining room décor.
Financially it was a conscious decision to spend money for beautiful objects rather than save the dollars for all the medications that I’ll need in my old age.
Pricey!

This is THE shop for majolica-(fine Italian Ceramics). The range of their selection spans the most styles, from the varying regions of Italy I have ever seen! The buyer has impeccable taste, with an eye for true artistry and unique qualities. This is my favorite store in all of North beach, It proves that there are people who are passionate about what they do! And if you speak with the folks running things, they really know their stuff!

If I had an endless supply of money to spend on beautiful dinnerware, Biordi’s is where I would go. The hand painted dishes and other housewares spotlight many talented Italian artists. The shop owner is very friendly and well versed in each of the artists featured in his store. Even if are low on disposable income, this North Beach shop is worth a visit for art appreciation purposes.