Victorian majolica
Secondly, there is the much less common tin-glazed majolica made primarily by Mintons from 1848 to circa 1880, typically with flat surfaces, opaque white glaze with fine brush painted decoration in imitation of the Italian Renaissance maiolica process and styles.
[3] An opaque white tin-glaze results from adding a small amount of tin oxide to plain lead glaze.
Adorning them were spectacular majolica garden seats, flower pots, jardinières, stands, large birds and animals.
The irrepressible urge to impress guests with rare food led to the growing of pineapples and egg-plants (aubergines) formerly only available overseas.
Minton's tin-glazed majolica in imitation of Italian maiolica, praised at Exhibitions and purchased by Royalty and museums, made little commercial impact.
Added to this, the expense of brushwork decoration, especially the fine painting of pictures and designs, was very time-consuming, requiring highly skilled,[13] higher paid artists.
[15] Leon Arnoux, the artistic and technical director of Mintons, wrote in 1852 "We understand by majolica a pottery formed of a calcareous clay gently fired, and covered with an opaque enamel composed of sand, lead, and tin..." He was describing the Minton & Co. tin-glazed product made in imitation of Italian maiolica both in process and in styles.
Minton's designs for Palissy ware, also known as majolica, were suited for 'thick' painting of coloured lead glazes onto surfaces moulded in relief to make best use of the intaglio effect.
The Illustrated London News reported with approval on Minton's two new products shown at the Exposition Universelle in Paris: The collection of Palissy and Majolica ware, however, is that which appears to have created the greatest sensation among Parisian connoisseurs.
Wedgwood's majolica included cachepots, jugs, candlesticks, cheese bells, umbrella stands, sardine boxes, plates in naturalistic patterns, bread trays, etc.
Majolica was influenced by the design of the old "Cauliflower" and "Pineapple" teapots that had been made by Thomas Whieldon, Wedgwood and other 18th-century Staffordshire potters.
Many late 19th-century majolica designs had rustic motifs with backgrounds of basketry and wooden-bound buckets decorated with moulded flowers, birds, fish and animals.
The Trent Pottery, George Jones and Sons,[28] made majolica cupids, shells, dolphins, birds, figurines and coral designs in numerous shapes including highbrow centrepieces alongside snuff boxes, spittoons, dog bowls, vases, serving dishes, tea sets, jugs, cheese keeps, desk sets, garden seats and pie dishes.
A beehive bread dish with a cover has a design of wild roses against a background of basketwork and has the Trent Pottery mark.
Barbizet Brard Delphin Massier Perret-Gentil Sarreguemines La majolique[38] Thomas Sergent Choisy le Roi Boch Freres Longchamp Luneville Orchies Nimy Onnaing Salins Vallauris Augusta Baptista de Carvalho Avelena Soares Bordalo Pinheiro Cunha José Francisco de Sousa Manuel Cipriano Gomes Mafra Krause (Germany, now in Poland) Reichard Krause, quality German maker late 19th century, coloured majolica glazes, styles classical and naturalistic, usually with clear K/M shield makers marks.
Eichwald Bloch, Villeroy & Boch (Luxemburg) W S Schiller Hugo Lonitz Gustafsberg Rörstrand Several American firms also made majolica, with the English born Edwin Bennett producing it in Baltimore as early as the 1850s.
[39] The best known are Griffin, Smith and Hill of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, whose Etruscan majolica made from 1880 to 1890 includes compotes with dolphin supports and flower, shell, or jewel cups, a design of coral weed and seashells, and tableware with leaves and ferns.
Majolica was also made by Odell and Booth at Tarrytown, New York, and by the Faience Manufacturing Company at Greenpoint, Long Island, whose mark is an incised "F.M.
