wanderingnthedark:Dish (piatto): Man Washing the Mouth of an Ass, ca. 1650-60, Italy. Maiolica is th
wanderingnthedark:Dish (piatto): Man Washing the Mouth of an Ass, ca. 1650-60, Italy. Maiolica is the term given to the refined, white-glazed pottery of the Italian Renaissance. The white, opaque glaze results from the presence of tin-oxide; the glazed surface is smooth and shiny, but not brilliant. In the sixteenth century, workshop procedures applied a second, clear glaze to majolica objects, which produced a brilliantly shiny surface and enhanced the color decoration. The twice-fired painted earthenware was adorned with a final layer of painting in compounds containing silver or copper, then fired again and burnished to an iridescent sheen. Florence led the way in the manufacture of majolica but, by the sixteenth century, production of this precious pottery had proliferated in other regions. MMA -- source link