The history of the brand name “Cama” has its roots in Deruta, a city known for its famous production of ceramics throughout Italy. It is also linked to California and in most areas of the United States.
The name “Friends of Cama” was originally created by a group of American citizens from the Bay Area, who in 2010 came together to raise a “crowdfunding” in order to save the ceramic factory from imminent closure. They wanted their favourite artisan workshop to stay in business as for 30 years they had become collectors, and closure meant they would not be able to acquire any more genuine Cama pieces.
This sincere initiative for the workshop, visited by many people, was “Cama” which is an acronym for Majolica Artistic Handicraft Cooperative, founded in the fifties specializing in hand-painted Renaissance dinner services.
It is thanks to the artist Elena Niccacci that the classical Deruta patterns reached their perfection, a quality much appreciated by her American customers. Elena’s style became a fashion statement on the dinner tables in many American homes, also in Starbuck’s cookery book entitled “Passion for Coffee” and in films (“Mrs Doubtfire, 1993).
In 2010 Elena Niccacci celebrated 60 years in the world of ceramics, as well as being the first woman entrepreneur to revive the Deruta classical patterns. As a young girl she believed passionately in her work, at a time when the art of pottery was reserved for the elite.
During difficult times for Cama a bridge was created between the US and Italy but it needed more time and resources in order to envisage new horizons. Reopening the workshop as it had been operating before was unprofitable and attempts to merge with another factory in Deruta were in vein.
“It has been a journey that I never imagined to do. As each door closed I went forward. I learnt not to give up; to fight and to stay focused. I became very strong because having a vision makes you resilient” said Roberta Niccacci. “It’s like living a dream. And I want this dream to come true. I’m ready to celebrate with my many friends all over the world starting from the United States. Thank you to all the friends and customers of Cama, and the people unknown to me, for supporting me in an impossible mission – never attempted in Deruta before.”
In Deruta Roberta was the face of Cama; she took care of the clients with considerable talent together with her brother Andrea, who supports the original revival project they would like to extend to the town of Deruta. With the help of her Italian mentor, who believed in her potentialities, Roberta has moved from Sales Assistant to Innovator.
Roberta Niccacci writes about her journey on the Cama facebook page www.facebook.com/FriendsofCama and on the blog www.friendsofcama.blogspot.it.
Overcoming the vicissitudes in Italy, where she experimented, researched new methods, knocked on doors; this year Roberta finally visited the Friends of Cama in the Bay Area returning to San Francisco after twenty years. She has never forgotten her love for the city and her long standing friendships.
Now Roberta’s project is ready to take the plunge, possibly with an American business partner, and make her dream come true: to revive Cama and once again serve the loyal customers who patronized her family’s workshop.
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