DESCRIPTION The Contrade Elephant Design was handmade, painted and imported from Italy. Contrade Italian Dinnerware is available in all 17 District Designs and each design is available in eight different products. The Elephant (Torre), for centuries has represented the "Rione della Torre" during the Palio horse race. "Rione" stands for Neighborhood. The Contrade Italian Ceramics are handcrafted in Siena, Italy. Torre is situated just to the south-east of the Piazza del Campo in the centre of the city, and encompasses Siena's Jewish quarter and synagogue. Traditionally, its residents worked as woolcombers. Torre's symbol is an elephant (the contrada's original name was Liofante or Lionfante) with a tower on its back. Its colours are crimson, striped with white and blue. Torre is the adversary of both Onda (wave) and of Oca (goose). It is the only contrada to have two rivalries, making it the most contentious contrada in Siena. Torre’s unique ally is Bruco. Special orders from Italy are shipped in 2 - 3 months. The small imperfections such as the difference in color, shape, diameter or small bubbles that form inside, do not constitute a defect but testify that it is actually an artisanal product. ARTISAN STORY During the Renaissance, Italian cities were partitioned into districts or neighborhoods called Contrade to supply troops to the military. Today, the most celebrated Contrade are of Siena, where 17 Contrade, each represented by a symbol or animal, compete in the Piazza del Campo for pride and the glory of winning in a biannual horse race called the Palio di Siena, which dates back to 1656.
