CAPODIMONTE - Centrepiece - Clay - PYXIS by ELEIT.IT

Pyxis is an object that enhances the consumption of buffalo mozzarella, both from an aesthetic and functional point of view, by an innovative design strongly influenced by the tradition of Greek vascular art, from which its name derives.

In ancient Greece, the use of the Pyxis was intended for the female world: a box made to hold perfumes, jewelry or medicinal ointments.
From the study of the sinuous forms of this ancient object comes the design of a container intended for the storage of mozzarella, also known as the white gold, whose closing element, when turned upside down, becomes a serving dish for the table that, by allowing the milk to drip inside the neck of the lid, enhances its tasting.

The project comes to life from an idea by Raffaella Del Giudice, Architect and Designer, who, driven by the desire to find herself around the table of her childhood, created a design object that is a tribute to her land and family.
The object was made in Capodimonte according to traditional processes: the ancient craftsmanship of the Real Fabbrica di Capodimonte, commissioned by Carlo di Borbone in 1743, has been handed down since 1961 within the Istituto Raro Caselli - De Sanctis with the aim to conceive and experiment the innovations of ancient art.
During the Bourbon period, mozzarella became a widely consumed food and it was in Capodimonte that King Carlo di Borbone decided to establish the Reale Vaccheria, a buffalo farm with an adjoining experimental dairy for milk processing.
Thanks to the collaboration of a third partner, excellence in the food sector, such as the organic farm Tenuta Vannulo, it was possible to experiment with the use and perfect the functionality of the Pyxis.


Milk Paths
Pyxis, through its forms evocative of an archaic femininity, traces a hidden path for the milk so that it is not wasted but guarded to still govern the mozzarella. The buttermilk drains inside the neck causing the mozzarella to appear dry at the time of tasting.. Pyxis is then completed with a new accessory that, by reducing the diameter of the neck, allows to enhance the socalled “white gold” in all its shapes and sizes, from the mozzarella bites to the braid.
SUGGESTED RITUAL
- Place the mozzarella and buttermilk in the bottom container and cover the top of the item. Until it is consumed, the mozzarella must remain submerged in the milk that allows for its preservation.
- Bring the Pyxis and its "adapter" to the table, turn the lid upside down, insert the adapter inside the neck, and transfer the « white gold » to the flat part. Let the milk drop so to make it easier to eat and keep the mozzarella dry enough.
- Once the tasting is over, if the mozzarella is not completely consumed, turn the lid/dish upside down. Afterwards, collect the buttermilk that has flowed into the neck, and cover the base container again . To preserve the flavour and consistency of the mozzarella, it is necessary to keep the liquid and store it properly, extending its freshness for a few days. Or salvage the milk to employ it in new haute cuisine

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