Gleaming surfaces and urban style for the Ironstone collection metal-effect stoneware

Very few materials are able to convey sensations over and above those transmitted on the strictly tangible level by the senses of sight and touch.

Metals are amongst them: their exquisite, iridescent surfaces, which reflect the deepest layers of their nature, create a mood that speaks to us not only in the dimensions we can measure through the steps we take but also on the more profound, intimate plane of our feelings and memories.

How precious a metal is in terms of its rarity is of little importance here. Delicately shiny, luminous silver and dark intense iron are both laden with meanings of similar worth, since they both originate in the deepest recesses of the surface of the earth. Even the pure colour versions of the original material, Bianco and Corten, which do not occur in nature, are permitted, given their ability to convey meanings and to establish bonds with specific stylistic contexts.

While silver is associated, in our collective imagination, with jewellery and decoration, and iron is the rigid, heavy metal used in mechanical engineering, they both share more than one common feature: a surface with glittering vein patterns; the ability to interact with and interpret light, and a depth of expressive tactile beauty.

Ragno interprets all these impressions in a new collection of metal-effect porcelain stoneware. It is called Ironstone and, as the name suggests, it combines two different inspirations: the urban allure of metal and the solid, substantial appeal of a mineral base.

The Ironstone collection, satiny and pleasantly smooth to the touch, is available in several sizes, but the spirit of the project is evoked most effectively by the rectified large slabs of 75x150 cm, , suitable for use on both walls and floors.

The absence of visual joints, enhanced by the very large size, creates an excitingly realistic metal effect, perfect not only for residential locations but also for sophisticated and modern hotel and catering venues.

The catalogue also offers square tiles of 75x75 cm and 60x60 cm, as well as the 60x30 cm rectangle and two series of materials for use on walls only: the mosaics and the laser decors. Floral, tribal and vaguely retro patterns express the various personalities of metal-effect stoneware, which reveals a surprising flair for generating romantic or even subtly vintage moods.