The Sicilian Formella

La Formella is Italian for ‘small plate' or 'small tile'. It refers to these ancient ceramic moulds used to make jellies, sweets, quince and other delights.

Each mould has a pattern representing something from everyday life such as 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.

Some less valuable La Formella are used around my kitchen stove to keep frequently used herbs and seasoning.

My first discovery of La Formella was at a Noto street market. I picked one out of a basket with the first initial of my surname, 'B' for 'Bird'. Ever since I’ve been learning about them and curating a small collection.

I now come across La Formella regularly at Sicilian street markets. My favourite source for La Formella is from a collector in Ortigia Island, Tina Santacroce, who, with her husband, runs Caffe Minerva. Tina has a collection of hundreds and hundreds, some of which she is willing to sell. I recommend popping by and introducing yourself.

Dating La Formella

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

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#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, you want it to be stable. The oldest La Formella, with feet, dates from the mid-to-late 18th century onwards, while the oldest, with no feet, generally does 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 Formellas was broken at some point in its history. It was then restored with metal stitches, which 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—a copy of which sits on the coffee table of my Sicilian home. Although the book is written in Italian, even if you don't understand the language, you can appreciate the hundreds of photographs of beautiful La Formella.