Ancient Sweetie Moulds

These ancient clay moulds are called La Formella, which in Italian means ‘mould’, ‘pattern’ or ‘tile’. Originally, they were made and used as moulds for jellies, sweets, quince and other delights. Le Formella represent things from everyday life whether birds, flowers and fruit, as well as religious icons and symbols.

I love them simply as fascinating and beautiful historical items. More practically, they are fabulous for serving aperitivo nibbles such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts, cheese, charcuterie, tomatoes and olive oil for dipping bread. I use some of the less valuable La Formella in the kitchen to keep frequently used seasoning.

My first discovery of La Formella was at the Noto Sunday market. I picked one that was the mould of the first initial of my surname, B, and I’ve been collecting them ever since.

I now come across La Formella regularly at Sicilian markets and amongst other collectors. Tina Santacroce of Caffe Minerva in Ortigia has a beautiful collection, some of which she is willing to sell. So, if you want to find out more or would like lots to choose from, I recommend visiting Tina.

Putting a date on La Formella can be tricky, but I’ve picked up three clues that help me discern their age.

#1 La Formella Colour

The colour of their glaze graduated from white, which dates from the early 18th century to yellow, which dates from the mid-19th century.

#2 La Formella Feet

If you use La Formella to serve aperitivo nibbles, then you want them to be stable. Those with feet date from the mid to late 18th century onwards, whilst the oldest from the early 18th century have no feet and generally do not sit well on a flat surface.

#3 La Formella Sound

With age comes dryness. Clay continues to dry over decades and centuries. La Formella of different ages have different sounds when carefully tapping on a hard surface.

One of my favourite La Formella is one that at some point in its history was broken. It was then restored with metal stitches. This became a standard process for repairing valued pottery, I also have a large bowl that has been repaired in the same way.

The Book about La Formella

Professor Vincenzo Forgia has extensively researched La Formella, resulting in the publication of a beautiful book. Whilst written in Italian, it contains hundreds of pictures of La Formella that you can enjoy.

The Rooftop is fortunate to have a copy for its coffee table collection, which our guests can enjoy, perhaps alongside their aperitivo drink and nibbles.