When was majolica made

W ith its whimsical forms and jewel-tone hues, majolica is one of the most collectible pottery styles around, and it has been adding a certain joie de vivre to homes for hundreds of years.

Read on to discover the rich history behind majolica—and to see why the styles are so coveted by designers and casual collectors alike. To understand the origins of majolica, we must start in the s with its predecessor, maiolica, named after the Spanish port city of Majorca.

Maiolica was exported to Italy via Majorca during the Italian Renaissance, and from there its popularity spread across Europe. In Victorian England it became known as majolica, and its subject matter and features evolved to better complement British interiors.

The 19th century is considered the golden age of majolica. The names are sometimes used interchangeably which can lead to confusion. The history of these two names begins with the export of earthenware ceramics from Spain in the fourteenth century. The name maiolica was first used by Italians to describe these late-medieval and renaissance ceramics.

It is thought the term derived from the early places of production in Malaga and the export route to Italy via the island of Mallorca. When Italian potters began producing their own tin-glazed earthenwares they also called these ceramics maiolica.

In the nineteenth century, renaissance ceramics were highly collectable and increasingly rare. European ceramicists and factories began making contemporary versions to meet demand. A critical and commercial success, production soon spread to other pottery factories. Simultaneously, Minton and other factories produced lead-glazed versions of Italian renaissance maiolica which, by the nineteenth century, was also known in Britain by the anglicised name of majolica.

The two styles developed over the century resulting in some of the boldest designs of the Victorian period, particularly suited to highly decorative interiors and for use as functional tablewares. By the end of the nineteenth century both styles became intertwined under the one name majolica, also still used to describe renaissance ceramics. In the s, to reduce confusion, curators at the South Kensington Museum now the Victoria and Albert Museum made a clear distinction between renaissance maiolica and nineteenth-century majolica.

By the late-nineteenth century majolica became the generally accepted term for the lead-glazed ceramics and Maiolica for all Italian tin-glazed earthenware. This distinction majolica for nineteenth-century lead-glazed and maiolica for Italian tin-glazed is still generally accepted in Britain. By then, Majolica had become a worldwide phenomenon, with hundreds of factories all over Europe, the United States, and Australia.

Much of this production was derivative of English design, but not all. The European countries in particular developed styles that were best suited to their national temperaments. A decline in production values had occurred, as lesser factories began to make inferior wares. Authentic, lead-based Majolica was made well into the 20th century. Yet these designs were either from the earlier period, or demonstrated a distinct 20th century change of taste.

Today, Reproduction Majolica is still popular, and some of the original ideas are in use, but the brilliant lead glazes are gone.

What remains is an affectionate nostalgia for the grand ideas of the Victorian era. November 29, Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Email. Camel-shaped Sweet Meat Dish, Albert Ernest Carrier Belleuse.