Definition:

Majolica (noun) is a type of pottery in which an earthenware clay body (usually a red earthenware) is covered with an opaque white glaze (traditionally a lead glaze including tin), then painted with stains or glazes and fired.

Majolica History

Tin-lead glazes were well-known around the Mediterranean, but this style of painting on a white opaque glaze became associated with the wares that the potters of the island of Majorca (aka Maiorca) exported far and wide.
These wares at first were more associated with the use of luster overglazes that had been introduced through the Moorish invasion of the Spanish peninsula in the 8th century.


Later, especially during and after the 15th century, the term "majolica" referred not only to lusterware, but all tin-lead glazed ware produced on the island or reminiscent of it.

Faience and delft wares are offshoots of the majolica wares exported to Italy. They are very similar tin-glazed ware. Faience wares (first produced in the Italian town of Faenza) and later wares produced in the town of Delft have a slightly different visual flavor from Mediterranean majolica.

Majolica Today

Today's potters should avoid the traditional recipes used in the original majolica wares. Lead glazes are highly toxic and are to be completely avoided. Instead, many potters working in a majolica style use commercially produced frits in their glaze recipes, or use commercial white glazes. Raw oxides may still be used, but so are commercially produced stains and glazes.
Because of recent advances in commercial ceramic material production, many potters are now able to replicate majolica-type colors and styles in mid-range wares.

This makes the pottery much stronger and suitable for use.

_{Resources:The Potter's Dictionary of Materials and Techniques, Hamer and Hamer; 2004.
Ten Thousand Years of Pottery, Cooper; 2000.}

Pronunciation: may-JOL-ee-kay or may-YOL-ee-kay

Also Known As: Faience and delft are terms for very similar types of pottery, the only real difference being where it was produced and the style of the painting.

Alternate Spellings: maiolica

Examples: Majolica is often ascribed to have a delicate but strongly-colored and relaxed ambiance.