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'The word majolica was first used in 1851 by Minton...' |
To read our article on majolica, click on the blue tabs above. Much of the majolica illustrated is available for sale from our website. Other pictures are taken from Madelena's research archive. For easier printing and distribution, if you log into your 'myMadelena' account, .pdf versions of our articles can be accessed from there. We hope you find our article of interest. Corrections, comments, etc. are most welcome. Please email davidtulk@madelena.com. |
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Literally, what is it?
Read why majolica continues to raise pulses in so many people.
Find out about English and Continental majolica, Palissy and Green. |
How was it made?
Get some tips on how to tell the difference.
What effect does restoration have?
See the incredible diversity of majolica forms and functions. |
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The word majolica was first used in 1851 by Minton, an English adaption of the word maiolica. Majolica is earthenware , molded in relief, coated with white opaque glaze , then coated with richly colored, durable glazes which fired simultaneously. Developed in England 1849-50 and launched at the 1851 Great Exhibition by 1860 other European countries had acquired the technology, and by the 1880's the US was producing. It was made in a multitude of forms and styles - some copied
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some breathtakingly original often whimsical sometimes humorous frequently naturalistic
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Majolica in an ultra-naturalistic style , was produced by some makers, notably in France and Portugal Majolica with additional decoration in the form of painted enamel scenes is not unknown Some continental makers also used gilt decoration
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It makes stunning decor! Its strong, bright colors never fade. A seemingly infinite variety of quirky, whimsical, naturalistic styles, and a multitude of forms and sizes set the imagination on fire. Just when you think you've seen it all, a previously unknown piece surfaces and delights. Its enduring popularity now seems guaranteed. It continues to excite decorators and designers, young and old, featuring regularly in home and designer magazines . Within the genre are colors, styles and forms to enhance almost any scheme: a single piece to highlight a corner a hutch of turquoise
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or pink a wall of themed pieces or an entire floor. Fish, seaweeds, shells and crabs for beach themes trees and bears for Black Forest or mountain themes farm animals for rural and country themes.
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All manner of fish bird mammal and other animal pieces are available. Plainly decorated pieces may fit with the clean, more minimalist look. Majolica in a 21st century home demonstrates an appreciation of art and history, expressing in brilliant style the continuity between past and present.
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There are features that distinguish one type of majolica from another to a great or lesser degree which we mention as we go along. The main types are English majolica, which we will cover in more detail including sections on English Style, Makers and Marks; Continental majolica; American majolica; and Green. GREEN MAJOLICA
Within a few years many pottery firms had moved into majolica. New contenders strove to establish their own businesses, George Jones being one of the latecomers, to some collectors the finest of them all. Majolica enjoyed a heyday. But by the 1880's in England the passion was fading. By 1900 majolica manufacture in England was almost dead, many artisans emigrating to the US where interest in majolica was alive and well.
In the early years of majolica, Minton produced a few ‘informal’ designs inspired by the works of Bernard Palissy but predominantly their designs were 'formal', in the style of Italian maiolica, Renaissance , often featuring putti, and some Gothic. By the 1870's, with majolica production at its peak, 'informal' naturalistic design reigned supreme. The very English passion for nature and for the English garden was reflected in majolica décor brilliant with color, depicting shells, and other animals Monkey designs reflected ongoing interest in the ‘evolution debate’. Charles Darwin enjoyed considerable notoriety . With the British Empire at its greatest and proudest, its peoples’ interest in the world at large continued also to broaden. Booming trade with the East brought everything 'oriental' suddenly back into fashion A further flush of national pride following Petrie's excavations in Egypt also found expression in majolica The MINTON factory is where majolica glazes were invented and developed. Minton was also at the forefront in design. In addition to talented in-house designers, they commissioned famous names for special pieces. Paul Comolera (peacock, stork, heron) Hugo Protat (heron, putti) Henk (stork, cockerel & hen) WEDGWOOD eventually acquired the desire and the technology for producing quality majolica, curiously with help from Mintons. Their designs came from their own artists and from freelance modellers. Their white ground pieces were marketed as 'Argenta ware' A series of table services are among our personal favorites. GEORGE JONES, a favourite with some collectors, started from nothing. Apprenticed to Minton, employed for a short while by Wedgwood, his opportunity to move up from merchant to manufacturer came in 1862. Concentrating on naturalistic designs he and his sons produced a series of stunning patterns, which by various means were got to market in both in England and the USA. OTHER ENGLISH MAKERS Copeland Samuel Lear
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T. Forester & Sons S. Fielding & Co. T. C. Brown Westhead Moore & Co. John Adams & Co. Adams & Bromley Wm. Brownfield & Sons Victoria Pottery Company Samuel Alcock & Co. Burmantofts Shorter & Son Wardle & Co. and Belfield & Co. (Scotland) UNIDENTIFIED ENGLISH MAKERS their wares, still relatively inexpensive today, form the backbone of many collections. Though sometimes of lesser technical quality than the top makers in terms of sharpness, color control
a number of 'look alikes', and some copies - sometimes made with 'borrowed' molds discarded by the bigger factories. when occasionally found, tells the date the pattern was registered . The diamond shape mark molded into the item signified the registration. Letters and numbers in the four corners specify the exact date of registration. The system was sufficiently successful that its use continued throughout the majolica period and beyond. Impressed maker's manufacture date code when found, on Wedgwood and Minton wares almost exclusively, tells the year the piece was made if you have the charts to look them up. Impressed or applied makers monograms/names: ‘GJ’, ‘JH’, 'MINTON', 'WEDGWOOD', etc Please Note: All the marks mentioned above appear inconsistently, even those of recognised makers. Tableware services were frequently unmarked except for the main pieces. CONTINENTAL MAJOLICA Majolica is known in France as 'barbotine'. High quality majolica was produced throughout Europe. Colors varied from one maker to another. Less familiar to collectors of English majolica was the use of deep red teal, blue, and pink. Makers, some producing exceptional quality majolica and superb designs include: Sarreguemines, France Choisy-le-Roi, France Longchamp, France Luneville, France Keller & Guerin St Clement, France Onnaing, France Perr-et-Gentil, Menton, France Massier, France 'JRL', 'JR' Boch Frères, France
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Nimy-lez-Mons, Belgium Wasmiel, Belgium Hugo Lonitz, Germany Villeroy & Boch, Germany Schramberg, Germany Bernard Bloch, Germany Reichard M Krause, Germany Gustafsberg, Sweden Rorstrand, Sweden Eichwald, Czechoslovakia Wilhelm Schiller, Czechoslovakia PALISSY MAJOLICA fish lizards frogs snails, etc arranged on grassy or aquatic backgrounds, reborn circa 1843 in France, with main centers in Paris and Tours; and circa 1880 in Portugal, centered on the town of Caldas da Rainha. Bernard Palissy (1510-1590) a gifted, obsessive naturalist, author, and potter, first produced the style circa 1548. For the first time in history molds were taken from actual specimens. Colored lead glazes were formulated to fuse onto an earthenware body The story according to W.P.Jervis, a historian, penned a couple of centuries later, goes like this: Bernard Palissy’s friends and neighbours looked upon him as a madman. In vain his wife pleaded. The kiln swallowed up everything and direst poverty stared them in the face. For sixteen years he struggled on, enduring the reproaches of his wife, the death of his children, the pathetic look of hunger in the faces of those spared to him, and the reviling of his neighbours. Undaunted by failure he sacrificed his furniture for fuel, his wife and remaining children, hungry and ragged, in vain imploring him to desist If this failed it was of necessity his last experiment. The very last stick of furniture had been thrust in the kiln, and the house stripped of every vestige of woodwork, and who shall attempt to portray with what emotions Palissy awaited the result... With trembling hands he drew the few pieces from the kiln - for a moment he dared not trust his senses - he looked again - THE GLAZE HAD FUSED. This changed everything and he lived happily ever after. Palissy majolica was made mostly in France and Portugal, each in their own distinctive style. French makers were less helpful, marking few pieces, and many makers producing pieces of similar style and glazes, making attributions difficult. Makers include: Joseph Landais, France Maurice, France Barbizet, France Thomas Sergent, France Geoffery Luff, France – MODERN Jose A. Cunha, Portugal
We see very little US majolica in the UK so this topic may be left to those better qualified than Madelena. Perhaps the most famed maker is Griffin Hill Smith & Co (Etruscan) always with a distinctive impressed mark
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By 1850 Léon Arnoux , a Frenchman working for English ceramics magnate Herbert Minton had succeeded in developing revolutionary new glazes in various colors: brown
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cobalt blue white gray and pink
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Green was already available These glazes were not only bright and colorful, but when fired they fused into tough hard-wearing glass. Additionally, because many colors could be applied simultaneously to the biscuit then fired just one more time, the ware was inexpensive to manufacture. Furthermore, in combination with the Arnoux down draught oven , with its more precise temperature control, great color control could be achieved. However, even with the Arnoux kiln, output varied in quality , even from top makers The frequently running glazes of 'lesser' or 'unmarked' manufacturers indicate these makers did not use or could not afford the new kiln technology.
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REAL:
Old. Majolica made between 1850 and 1930 . In England Wedgwood produced re-runs of popular table wares using non-lead based glazes. Burmantofts Pottery and Shorter Bros also continued with some of their lines. MODERN:
Majolica made since around 1950 in the style of real majolica, or reproduced , clearly marked with a present day manufacturer's mark Modern majolica is made with no intention to deceive, and does not pretend to be old.
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As above, majolica that has been reproduced, but is being re-sold with the intention to deceive, purporting to be real. FAKE:
Repro majolica being re-sold with fake marks with the intention to deceive, purporting to be real. The inexperienced buyer should always pause to ask themselves “Is it real? Could it be modern, repro or fake?” Start by asking the seller: 'When was it made?', 'Who made it and where?', 'How do you know?' Vague answers mean the seller does not know or will not tell.
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To detect real from repro for yourself, first look for maker's marks and characteristics. Even top makers often omitted to mark their wares So here are some tips, pointers, warning signs to look out for, for when there are no marks or characteristics to guide you, or when you are not 100% confident in the seller. These are only pointers. Exceptions abound. Never judge a piece by one indicator alone.
Compare real with repro side by side whenever possible, handle every piece you can , and you will quickly learn to distinguish one from the other. Collectors and specialist dealers with long experience are seldom fooled.
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Wear and damage is to be expected. Pristine unrestored pieces are extremely rare. Many sellers do not draw attention to repairs and restoration in as much detail as we do. When buying don't forget to ask “Is there any damage or restoration?”
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Depending on how well the work is done and the rarity of the item, any damage, and the extent and quality of any restoration will affect value.
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Spotting damage and restoration: If your eyesight is not great, use a lens and bright light. Damage: Look at the most vulnerable areas first. Restoration: Look for slight changes in color. Look for a disappearance of normal crazing. Feel for a change in texture. Feel for a change in hardness - teeth will do, but are no longer recommended; tapping lightly with a sharp steel implement works well - the softer acrylic of the repair can be distinguished by feel from unrestored glaze which is as hard as glass.
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Forms or 'shapes' related to the function of an item. Forms can be grouped into two main categories, 'useful', and 'decorative'. Both useful and decorative wares could be found in abundance in the households of the emerging middle-classes. In the entrance hall: Card Trays Stick and Umbrella Stands In the bedroom: Toilet sets: Bowls, ewers. Hidden within the bedside 'pot cupboard': Chamber pot, Spittoon Writing desk paraphernalia might include: Match holders and strikers Money Boxes Living rooms and parlours would be adorned with: to monumental Posy Baskets Flower Baskets Flower Pots Vases Hanging Baskets Wall brackets and corner wall brackets Wall plates Wall platters Candlestick holders
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Tea sets including Milk Jugs , Sugar Bowls, Cups & Saucers, Tea Pots, and Tea Kettles In everyday use one would find: Pots, lidded and otherwise Butter Dishes Mugs Jugs for water, milk, cream and syrup. On special occasions dining tables would be 'dressed' with: Candlesticks and candelabra Centrepieces, from the modest to the monumental Ice Stand for the occasional carved ice centerpiece Purpose designed serving pieces would be presented to table the finials and decoration often announcing the type of food contained therein: Game pie dishes Fish Servers Crab servers Sardine Boxes Cheese Keeps (Cheese Bells) Escargot servers Bread platters Nut dishes and Chestnut Servers Strawberry Servers
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Specialised services would be used for particular types of food, especially dessert: Fish plates and platters Strawberry plates and dishes Oyster plates Asparagus or artichoke plates drainers and tureens Dessert services consisted of small plates low compotes high compotes serving dishes oval or rectangular and sometimes covered pots. Services of every pattern and color were used including begonia services and green majolica. In the conservatory and elsewhere would be found: and Jardinière Stands Dog Bowls Garden Seats Tiles useful - affixed to wall surfaces, and decorative and lights and Urns
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