San Marino's ceramics, already present in our country during Roman times, experienced a period of great splendour in recent history, gaining vast popularity. A phenomenon which brought famous ceramists and artists to San Marino, increasing its production and contributing to the Republic's economic and cultural growth.
The first factory in the ceramics sector opened in 1938, owned by Luigi Masi: MARMACA; in the Fifties, other industries and laboratories in the sector sprang up: TITANO, SAM, TRE MONTI, LIBERTAS, RICCI, INTERMITTENCE, L.MASI, E. CASALI… Production consisted of tiles, large and small amphorae with elegant handles, wall plates depicting the “View” of the Republic, the “Towers” or the Saint Marino taken from postcards but also reality. The figures are bright and clear, surrounded by 18th century motifs of a “Raphaelesque” type, with spirals of various colours, gold or shiny black.

The colours used by the artisans are all metal oxides, such as chromium, iron, manganese, copper and in their compositions, the colours green, orange, sepia and black prevail. The Sixties sees a real boom of companies and craft laboratories, and as a result, commercial activities tied to the sale of these products. In 1955, some local newspapers printed an announcement by the San Marino government, expressing the wish “... to organize an International Exhibition of the Modern Ceramics and Porcelain of San Marino in the Palazzo delle Manifestazioni (ex Kursaal) with the patronage of the International Academy of Ceramics...”. The dates foreseen for the occasion were from the 15th of June to the 15th October, 1955. A “General set of rules” was published, and an article announces the issue of a celebratory stamp, but the Exhibition never took place that year, nor in the following.


In 1992, the Cino Mularoni Foundation was set up to remember and pass down the memory of Secondo Enzo Mularoni, known as Cino. The foundation has promoted numerous initiatives, mainly dealing with ceramics. In 1996, in the former monastery of Santa Chiara, a large exhibition was organized, dealing with the history of ceramic production, which today, together with the catalogue, is still a reference point for those who want to study the sector in depth, or analyse the subject as a collector. The Azienda Autonoma di Stato Filatelica e Numismatica, with the wish to rediscover and reappraise the activities tied to the history, production and artistic expression of the Ceramics of San Marino, has decided to dedicate a philatelic issue to it. Libero Cellarosi, born in Faetano in 1945, began working at a very young age: during the summer holidays, at the age of 9, he started working in the LIBERTAS company, owned by the Meloni brothers. After gaining his primary school leaving certificate, he was taken on as an employee and had Oscar Ducci as his teacher. He is now retired, but continues to work as a hobby, teaching at courses for ceramics decorators whilst also carrying out research on décors, enamels and colours belonging to the San Marino tradition, re-proposing some objects in an ancient style. The € 0,36 value depicts a two-handled amphora of a classical style, in majolica, thrown on the potter's wheel, entirely handmade, with neo-Renaissance decorations and the coat of arms of the Republic of San Marino. Polished with antique gold and ruby, it's 65 cm high, with a diameter of 84 cm. This work, by Libero Cellarosi, dates to 2001-2002. On the € 0,60 stamp, Umberto Masi's brush opens a window into the “Raphaelesque half shade black background” of an amphora with raised handles, snake-shaped, with “Saint Marino” and “Views”; and a “Fogliato” décor. This work dates back to the Fifties, stands 98 cm high and is by the same artist. Umberto Masi was born in 1930 and is an autodidact. After the first years of high school he joined the “L. MASI” company and had exceptional teachers such as Achille Wildi and Giuseppe Fiumi from Faenza, whose daughter, Franca, he went on to marry. Giorgio Monti was born in Faenza in 1933 and gained the diploma of Art Master from the “Ballardini” Institute under the guidance of Tonito Emiliani and Angelo Biancini. He arrived in San Marino in 1951. The vase depicted in the € 0,85 stamp is decorated with spirals inspired by the Faience style, with a black and orange background; the shape is Etruscan. The work is characterised by four medallions with the Three Towers and the coat of arms of the Republic, and dates to 1999, a unique piece owned by the artist, it stands 38 cm high and has a body of 27 cm.

• Issue date: 20th February 2009
• Values: three values of € 0,36 - 0,60 and 0,85
• Stamp size: 40 x 30 mm
• Perforations: 13 1/4 x 2
• Design: Mariella Antomelli
• Sheets: of 12 stamps with a descriptive strip on the right hand side of the sheet
• Print run: 90.000 sets
• Printing: four colour offset by Cartor Security Printing

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