Mayssan1@AOL.COM on tue 26 sep 00
I thought Majolica is how you spell it and Maiolica is how you pronounce it.
Right?
Mayssan
Snail Scott on tue 26 sep 00
At 02:20 PM 9/26/00 -0400, you wrote:
>I attended a workshop that I thought was for majolica and it turned out to
>be for maiolica. I never did grasp the difference. Could someone please
>explain to me the difference in these two methods ? Thanks Rhonda Oldland
>surfside beach s.c.
What's in a name?
Clay people usually use 'majolica' to refer to colored glazes applied over
a white base glaze on (often) red earthenware. Where I'm from (New Mexico)
this is pronounced ma-YAW-lica, although some folks in the East pronounce
the "j".
Antiques people usually use 'majolica' to refer to a sort
of textured whiteware with transparent, colored glaze (especially popular
around 1900-1930 or so). They _always_pronounce it ma-JOE-lica or ma-JAW-lica.
The spelling (majolica/maiolica) doesn't indicate anything; historically
the letters "i" and "j" were interchangeable. The name is just a corruption
of Majorca, an island near Spain where it was produced early on.
For more fun, try 'faience', derived from Faenza (the Italian town). To
clay people it's mostly synonymous with majolica. To archaeologists it's
the same as Egyptian paste!
-Snail
vince pitelka on tue 26 sep 00
> Simple explanation - no difference in technique.
> Maiolica is the Italian word for majolica.
NO NO NO NO. Maiolica is the correct word. Majolica is an English
misspelling.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Rhonda Oldland on tue 26 sep 00
I attended a workshop that I thought was for majolica and it turned out to
be for maiolica. I never did grasp the difference. Could someone please
explain to me the difference in these two methods ? Thanks Rhonda Oldland
surfside beach s.c.
Cindy Strnad on tue 26 sep 00
Rhonda,
The difference between maiolica and majolica is the spelling. They're just
trying to confuse us.
Cindy Strnad
Earthen Vessels Pottery
RR 1, Box 51
Custer, SD 57730
USA
earthenv@gwtc.net
www.earthenvesselssd.com
Karen Shapiro on tue 26 sep 00
Hi there,
Simple explanation - no difference in technique.
Maiolica is the Italian word for majolica.
Karen in Gualala
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vince pitelka on wed 27 sep 00
Let me preface the following by saying that I adore Janet Kaiser and greatly
appreciate her extensive knowledge on so many subjects. That said, I am a
stickler for accuracy, and I certainly expect all of you to point out any
mistakes I make below or anywhere else. It's your job.
> The only difference is in the spelling... The
> word is derived from Majorca, a Balearic Island
> in the Mediterranean, East of Spain. Majolica is
> pronounced: Ma-yol-i-ka.
You say Majorca, I say Mallorca,
You say Majolica, I say Maiolica,
Let's call the whole thing off . . . .
Sorry, I can't remember what musical comedy that is adapted from.
> The Arabs introduced it to Europe via Africa and
> finally Granada, which is why it was so
> prevalent in 14th-15th century Spain. It spread
> to Italy and the rest of Western Europe from
> there. During this migration it also changed
> from high to low-fired.
The tin-glaze technique spread with Islam, primarily because of a Koranic
prohibition against the use of metal tablewares. That is why the Islamic
Arabesque aesthetic, ceramics techniques, and updraft grate-kiln spread so
far and wide so quickly. The Islamic Moors brought it across the Straights
of Gibraltar into Spain, where it quickly migrated, via the island of
Mallorca, to Italy during the Gothic era. And it was never a high-fire
technique. In the direct linneage of Maiolica, beginning shortly after the
emergence of Islam in the Middle East in the 8th century AD, it was always
tin-glazed earthenware.
> However, there are two areas of definition these
> days. In the ceramic industry, a Majolica glaze
> usually indicates a low-fired soft, opaque,
> coloured glaze. Any colour.
Yes, that is Majolica with a hard "J", as applied to that wonderful English
Baroque-era work I mentioned in an earlier post. That is why if people are
referring to the Italian Maiolica tradition, it is very important that they
pronounce it "maiolica", as you point out, whether they spell it with a "J"
or an "I".
> For stunning historic Majolica visit Southern
> Spain, all the major craft museums of Europe and
> any exhibition of Islamic ceramics to come your
> way
Again, I am perhaps being picky, but some of this is not Maiolica. The
Spanish work is Hispano-Moresque tin-glazed wares. The European work (made
outside of Italy) may be faience, or Delft, or Lambeth, or Bristol, or
Hannau, etc. The Islamic work, although it was the foundation of this
style, is usually either referred to as faience, or simply as tin-glazed
ware with overglaze painting. It is important to point that out because
Islamic ceramics include so many other incredible styles and techniques.
The only historic work which is Maiolica is the Italian work made from the
Gothic era onwards. And as you say, it is specifically the tin-glazed work
where the designs are painted onto the raw glaze surface.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Norman van der Sluys on wed 27 sep 00
Our alphabet, as invented by the Romans, did not include the letter "J" or the
letter "U" (or "W", for that matter.) So you often see "i" where you would expect
"j" and occasionally "v" where you would expect "u". To call Majollica a
misspelling is not really accurate. Transposition would be a better term. My
favorite example of this sort of thing is the popular masculine name, John. The
Germanic version is Jan, and the Spanish spell it Juan. What do the Russians do
with it - Ivan. What does that make Ian?
vince pitelka wrote:
> > Simple explanation - no difference in technique.
> > Maiolica is the Italian word for majolica.
>
> NO NO NO NO. Maiolica is the correct word. Majolica is an English
> misspelling.
> Best wishes -
> - Vince
>
>
--
Norman van der Sluys
by the shore of Lake Michigan, suffering from wheel withdrawal.
Janet Kaiser on wed 27 sep 00
Rhonda
The only difference is in the spelling... The
word is derived from Majorca, a Balearic Island
in the Mediterranean, East of Spain. Majolica is
pronounced: Ma-yol-i-ka.
It is called maiolica in Italy, faience in
France, Fayence in Germany and delftware in the
UK. This follows its historical spread through
Europe. Notice the UK acquired the technique
from Holland, which is why we call it Delft,
whereas the French and Germans imported it from
Italy, hence faience or fayence.
The technique is ancient and was firmly
established in Mesopotamia by the 9th century.
The Arabs introduced it to Europe via Africa and
finally Granada, which is why it was so
prevalent in 14th-15th century Spain. It spread
to Italy and the rest of Western Europe from
there. During this migration it also changed
from high to low-fired.
However, there are two areas of definition these
days. In the ceramic industry, a Majolica glaze
usually indicates a low-fired soft, opaque,
coloured glaze. Any colour.
However, craft potters tend to think of Majolica
as painting with metal oxides on an earthenware
glaze. Usually white and traditionally a lead
glaze with 10% tin oxide as the opacifier.
So-called tin-glazed ware.
If you want to see amazing contemporary
majolica, look out for Alan Caiger-Smith's work.
It is stunning. And I believe his son is
following in his footsteps.
The technique is simple. First you cover a
biscuit-fired pot or tile with an opaque glaze
and then the design is painted straight onto the
raw glaze. This is usually not whilst wet but
before it dries completely, so it is like
painting on damp paper. (Although I heard Alan
Caiger-Smith actually paints onto bone dry
glaze.)
Painting should be rapid and direct. It takes
some practise and testing to find how the
pigments work out. Some are notoriously
fugitive, whilst with others, a little goes a
long way.
For stunning historic Majolica visit Southern
Spain, all the major craft museums of Europe and
any exhibition of Islamic ceramics to come your
way... IMHO now we no longer use lead in glazes
and other oxides such as manganese are suspect,
there will never be anything a patch on this
work ever again!
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
----- Original Message -----
> I attended a workshop that I thought was for
majolica and it turned out to
> be for maiolica. I never did grasp the
difference. Could someone please
> explain to me the difference in these two
methods?
ferenc jakab on fri 29 sep 00
>
> NO NO NO NO. Maiolica is the correct word. Majolica is an English
> misspelling.
> Best wishes -
> - Vince
Not necessarily a misspelling, I won't go into vowel and consonant shifts,
especially in pre-universal literacy, word adoptions, but I would like to
refer all those interested to "Tin-Glazed Earthenware - From Maiolica,
Faience and Delftware to the contemporary." Daphne Carnegy, Craftsman House,
Gordon and Breach Arts International, London 1993. It's a wonderful read and
explains all you would ever want to know about Maiolica....Well perhaps it
really just wets the appetite.
Feri
Rhonda Oldland on fri 29 sep 00
Thanks SO much Janet for the informative explanation and suggestions.
The instructor from the workshop I attented stated the difference was the
lead was taken out and that is why it is now called maiolica. Hum.....
Battling rain from a tropical depression kept me from making the class on
time. I thought I might have been mistaken in what I heard and since I
walked into a class full of what seemed to be unfriendly natives I thought
I better sit in my "time out corner " and just be still !!!!!
I did manage to paint some nice pots and a couple of tiles, although they
were not in keeping with the standard floral, frogs,bugs, leaves etc.designs.
We sprayed CMC on the pots or tiles when the paint brushes started to drag
and that seemed to help alot.(Since it was raining so hard, after we dipped
our pots in the white glaze they loaded them in the kiln and let them sit
all night.eeek!!!!)
After it was all said and done I can now appericated the technique and my
disposition while I was there. My African Violets are sitting in those
abstract pots
and they pretty much display the emotions of the day !!!!
Thanks, Rhonda S.C.
01:19 9/27/00 +0100, you wrote:
>Rhonda
>
>The only difference is in the spelling... The
>word is derived from Majorca, a Balearic Island
>in the Mediterranean, East of Spain. Majolica is
>pronounced: Ma-yol-i-ka.
>
>It is called maiolica in Italy, faience in
>France, Fayence in Germany and delftware in the
>UK. This follows its historical spread through
>Europe. Notice the UK acquired the technique
>from Holland, which is why we call it Delft,
>whereas the French and Germans imported it from
>Italy, hence faience or fayence.
>
>The technique is ancient and was firmly
>established in Mesopotamia by the 9th century.
>The Arabs introduced it to Europe via Africa and
>finally Granada, which is why it was so
>prevalent in 14th-15th century Spain. It spread
>to Italy and the rest of Western Europe from
>there. During this migration it also changed
>from high to low-fired.
>
>However, there are two areas of definition these
>days. In the ceramic industry, a Majolica glaze
>usually indicates a low-fired soft, opaque,
>coloured glaze. Any colour.
>
>However, craft potters tend to think of Majolica
>as painting with metal oxides on an earthenware
>glaze. Usually white and traditionally a lead
>glaze with 10% tin oxide as the opacifier.
>So-called tin-glazed ware.
>
>If you want to see amazing contemporary
>majolica, look out for Alan Caiger-Smith's work.
>It is stunning. And I believe his son is
>following in his footsteps.
>
>The technique is simple. First you cover a
>biscuit-fired pot or tile with an opaque glaze
>and then the design is painted straight onto the
>raw glaze. This is usually not whilst wet but
>before it dries completely, so it is like
>painting on damp paper. (Although I heard Alan
>Caiger-Smith actually paints onto bone dry
>glaze.)
>
>Painting should be rapid and direct. It takes
>some practise and testing to find how the
>pigments work out. Some are notoriously
>fugitive, whilst with others, a little goes a
>long way.
>
>For stunning historic Majolica visit Southern
>Spain, all the major craft museums of Europe and
>any exhibition of Islamic ceramics to come your
>way... IMHO now we no longer use lead in glazes
>and other oxides such as manganese are suspect,
>there will never be anything a patch on this
>work ever again!
>
>Janet Kaiser
>The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
>HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
>Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
>E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
>WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
>
>----- Original Message -----
>
>> I attended a workshop that I thought was for
>majolica and it turned out to
>> be for maiolica. I never did grasp the
>difference. Could someone please
>> explain to me the difference in these two
>methods?
>
>___________________________________________________________________________
___
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
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>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
>
>
Janet Kaiser on fri 29 sep 00
Hi Fred Astaire! (alias Vince P.)
Ginger Rogers here!
I love you too! Shame we can't dance around like
we used to...
I like the new verse for "Let's call the whole
thing off"...
Didn't we sing that in "High Society"?
> You say Majorca, I say Mallorca,
> You say Majolica, I say Maiolica,
> Let's call the whole thing off . . . .
Think our mails are crossing, so will wait to
hear what you say later, Vince. In fact, I do
say "maiolica" (and Mallorca) without the hint
of a JU, GAW or similar sound... just do not
particularly care either way how it is spelled.
I consider it a natural development, if it
mutates into a "j" ...
Being a "J for Jug" person, I am probably
biased... :-)
There is also the German influence. You see, it
would only be pronounced correctly if it had a
"j" there... ma-yol-i-ka
With an "i" it would sound more like: MY-ol-i-ka
And that really would sound very silly...
Not that it matters. Not really, really, really.
I take your point on high-fired tin-glaze... I
really mean that earlier Islamic and Moorish
ware was "higher" fired than later ware. It was
not high fired at all by modern standards. It is
relative within the context of the subject. If
you see what I mean?
Who started all this anyway? Just shows what a
simple question leads to... Great, isn't it??
Ciao for now!
Janet Kaiser - Hoping I can get to sleep tonight
and not lie there with Limericks going round my
head...
The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
Janet Kaiser on fri 29 sep 00
Hummm... I cannot let all that go... Sorry
Vince!
> The tin-glaze technique spread with Islam,
primarily because of a Koranic
> prohibition against the use of metal
tablewares.
Not strictly true IMHO, because this infers that
the development of this ceramic tradition was
synonymous with the spread of Islam. You are
forgetting that Chinese ceramics and textiles
had reached the Near and Middle East earlier,
but the introduction of Chinese potters (as
prisoners of war) into Mesopotamia in the early
part of the 8th century brought the techniques
of the T'ang period into use. Arabian and
Persian interest in fine ceramics therefore
pre-dates Islam and many of the techniques we
use today (underglaze, on-glaze, lustre,
sgraffito, slip-painted, etc) were in use as
early as that.
> That is why the Islamic Arabesque aesthetic,
ceramics techniques, and updraft grate-kiln
spread so
> far and wide so quickly. The Islamic Moors
brought it across the Straights
> of Gibraltar into Spain, where it quickly
migrated, via the island of
> Mallorca, to Italy during the Gothic era.
Actually, it migrated to present-day Italy via
Sicily which was under Spanish rule. Although
Archaic tin-glazed ware appeared as early as the
11th-12th centuries, it was very inferior to the
Hispanic ware of the period. It did not reach
Northern Italy until the 13th-14th centuries. To
reach its peak, we have to wait until the 15th
century when the Tuscan (especially the
Florentine) maiolica potters reached the height
of artistic activity. Indeed, it took some time
to spread throughout Europe... around 500 years!
> it was always tin-glazed earthenware.
Agreed
> > However, there are two areas of definition
these
> > days. In the ceramic industry, a Majolica
glaze
> > usually indicates a low-fired soft, opaque,
> > coloured glaze. Any colour.
>
> Yes, that is Majolica with a hard "J", as
applied to that wonderful English
> Baroque-era work I mentioned in an earlier
post.
No! No! No! Not a hard "J" anywhere! :-) That
refers to modern usage of the word maiolica (if
you insist) or majolica, when any colourful
manufactured work is given the name... I was
just pointing out that what studio potters
consider to be maiolica/majolica is quite
different to what manufacturers think of and
even what the trade describe as majolica.
BTW I use "majolica" because that saves the
spell checker stopping all the time. It does not
like any other version!
I am not too sure which "wonderful English
baroque" you are referring to... On the whole,
England missed out on the excesses of the
period, thanks to political factors like the
Reformation and Cromwell. I am naturally
confining myself to true tin-glazed work here.
;-)
> That is why if people are
> referring to the Italian Maiolica tradition,
it is very important that they
> pronounce it "maiolica", as you point out,
whether they spell it with a "J"
> or an "I".
HUm? Do you really think so, Vince? I think you
are probably fighting a loosing battle.
> Again, I am perhaps being picky,
Yes you are Vince :-)
> but some of this is not Maiolica. The
> Spanish work is Hispano-Moresque tin-glazed
wares. The European work (made
> outside of Italy) may be faience, or Delft, or
Lambeth, or Bristol, or
> Hannau, etc. The Islamic work, although it
was the foundation of this
> style, is usually either referred to as
faience, or simply as tin-glazed
> ware with overglaze painting.
Not in my experience. Certainly not the museums
I have been to.
> It is important to point that out because
> Islamic ceramics include so many other
incredible styles and techniques.
Yes, and in my experience, the various
techniques are usually part of or included in
the description.
> The only historic work which is Maiolica is
the Italian work made from the
> Gothic era onwards. And as you say, it is
specifically the tin-glazed work
> where the designs are painted onto the raw
glaze surface.
Sorry, I am going to have to get some moral
support here. Wait a minute whilst I find my
World Ceramics...
O.K. Now looked up "World Ceramics" by Robert J.
Charleston. See what he has to say...
Chapter V Europe: Tin-Glaze
(page 139) "Tin-glazed pottery is confusingly
known by different names in different
countries - maiolica in Italy, faience in
France, Fayence in Germany and delftware in
England - but is essentially the same
everywhere."
You are trying to give the word maiolica a
secondary meaning Vince. That is tin-glazed AND
made in Italy. That is simply not possible
anymore, now the expression has been
(mis?)appropriated by everyone.
When a German is talking of "Fayence", s/he
could be talking of ware from any country in the
world. It has also become a generic term for
colourful ware. Underglaze, onglaze,
enamelled... everything goes.
I understand what you want it to be and most
curators, antique dealers, auction houses, art
historians and many potters will understand the
point you are making, but we will just have to
accept not everyone is an expert and the term/s
have entered the language/s in a far broader
sense.
To restrict the definition of maiolica to mean
just historic, Italian tin-glazed ware is far
too narrow.
Hummm.... Now I must go and read up some more
from Charleston. I have forgotten so much from
college days and have been talking from memory a
lot... Not usually a good move. Need some
verification when talking to an expert!!
I think maybe I should invest in Emmanuel
Cooper's new book "Ten thousand years of
Pottery" published by the British Museum Press.
May give us a more modern up-to-date angle on
this whole issue. Although at £30 it will have
to go on the "would like" rather than the "I
need" list! Good job I have a birthday coming
up!
Ciao for now!
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
HOME OF THE INTERNATIONAL POTTERS' PATH
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales Tel: (01766) 523570
E-mail: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
WEBSITE: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
vince pitelka on sat 30 sep 00
> > The tin-glaze technique spread with Islam,
> primarily because of a Koranic
> > prohibition against the use of metal
> tablewares.
>
> Not strictly true IMHO, because this infers that
> the development of this ceramic tradition was
> synonymous with the spread of Islam.
Janet, it does not imply that at all. It says that "the tin-glaze technique
spread with Islam" which is indesputable.
You are
> forgetting that Chinese ceramics and textiles
> had reached the Near and Middle East earlier,
> but the introduction of Chinese potters (as
> prisoners of war) into Mesopotamia in the early
> part of the 8th century brought the techniques
> of the T'ang period into use. Arabian and
> Persian interest in fine ceramics therefore
> pre-dates Islam and many of the techniques we
> use today (underglaze, on-glaze, lustre,
> sgraffito, slip-painted, etc) were in use as
> early as that.
This doesn't seem particularly relevant in this discussion. The Tang
potters got both lead glaze and Mohammedan blue (cobalt) from the middle
east via the Silk Road.
> Actually, it migrated to present-day Italy via
> Sicily which was under Spanish rule. Although
> Archaic tin-glazed ware appeared as early as the
> 11th-12th centuries, it was very inferior to the
> Hispanic ware of the period. It did not reach
> Northern Italy until the 13th-14th centuries.
This is a little strange, because it agrees entirely with what I said. The
trading stop close to Spain was Mallorca. I was not aware that Sicily was
under Spanish control, and that is very interesting. I stated that the
maiolica technique really appeared in Italy in the Gothic Era - the 13th
century, as you state above.
> > > However, there are two areas of definition these
> > > days. In the ceramic industry, a Majolica glaze
> > > usually indicates a low-fired soft, opaque,
> > > coloured glaze. Any colour.
Yes, they pronounce it with a hard "J" (at least they do in this country),
and that is an entirely different adaptation of the term.
> I am not too sure which "wonderful English
> baroque" you are referring to... On the whole,
> England missed out on the excesses of the
> period, thanks to political factors like the
> Reformation and Cromwell.
I guess that is precisely what I mean. The work I was referring to - the
turines and teapots and dinnerware resembling vegetables and barnhard
animals - has a wonderful spirit to it, as compared to the stuffy
aristocratic things produced by the great porcelain factories of Europe.
> HUm? Do you really think so, Vince? I think you
> are probably fighting a loosing battle.
Yep, I already admitted that, and I hope to have another good 40 years left
in me to keep doing so.
> You are trying to give the word maiolica a
> secondary meaning Vince. That is tin-glazed AND
> made in Italy. That is simply not possible
> anymore, now the expression has been
> (mis?)appropriated by everyone
See above. The only historic work which is mailoica is Italian tin-glazed
work. I never implied that this was also the case with contemporary work.
> To restrict the definition of maiolica to mean
> just historic, Italian tin-glazed ware is far
> too narrow.
I don't know where you got this, because I never even implied it.
As much as I am enjoying this, we are probably wearing it out. Best
wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Home - vpitelka@dekalb.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
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