For most of my life, I worked in the corporate world. It was steady, successful, and demanding, but I always knew there was a creative current running underneath it. I collected Italian ceramics for more than twenty years — pieces discovered in small shops in Tuscany and Umbria, carried home carefully, set on tables filled with family and friends. I didn’t realize at first that those pieces were more than objects. They were anchors. They were a connection to something older and more enduring than my day-to-day work.

My parents and siblings were born in Italy. I was born in the United States. In 2024, I formally became an Italian citizen, a moment that felt less like an acquisition and more like an alignment. Tavola Piena lives in that same space between my two home countries — rooted in heritage, shaped by modern life.

Over time, I began to understand that what drew me back to Italy again and again was not only the beauty of the ceramics, but the philosophy behind them. In Deruta, each form is outlined freehand. Every color is layered by hand. The process is slow and disciplined. Nothing is rushed. And yet these pieces are not created to sit untouched behind glass. They are made to be used — to hold a meal, to carry a conversation, to return to the table again and again.

After two decades of collecting, I knew I didn’t simply want to admire this tradition; I wanted to participate in it. I began working directly with artisans in Deruta, adding my perspective to traditional forms — respecting the heritage while shaping pieces that feel alive in modern homes. My goal has never been to create museum pieces. It is to create tableware that belongs in everyday life — for weeknight dinners, Sunday gatherings, and the quiet morning coffee that begins a day.

Tavola Piena means “full table.” To me, that fullness is not only about abundance; it is about presence. It is about layering pieces intentionally, allowing tradition to unfold across a setting, and designing collections that grow more nuanced with use over time.

This is only the beginning. There are more patterns to explore, more regions of Italy to learn from, and more stories to tell through color, proportion, and ornament. But the purpose remains simple: to bring the spirit of Italian craft into homes where the table is lived at, not preserved.

Thank you for being here at the beginning.

Joseph Sorce

Founder, Tavola Piena