Mayólica is the Spanish term for a specific method of glazing earthenware pottery. The earliest glazes were of lead, but are no longer used in the crafting of mayólica. The glazes were transparent, but by adding certain minerals, such as manganese-purple or copper-green, an overall shade was created that would hide the color of the clay. However, designs could not be painted in lead glazes as they would run. In the 9th century a remarkable discovery was made: by adding tin oxide to the lead glaze, an opaque white surface was created that could both cover the clay color and be used as a paint surface. This discovery allowed potters to imitate the appearance of costly porcelain in earthenware.
Today, the mayólica earthware is decorated with various glazes, low fired and hand painted by skilled artisans. The firing temperatures allow for the brilliance of colors. This ware is made throughout the Southern regions of Mexico, which enjoy a warm climate and arid terrain. This is traditionally a region where fuel sources were limited, prohibiting the production of more resilient wares such as porcelain or stone wares which require much higher firing temperatures.
The Spanish term mayólica is synonymous with maiolica, majolica, faience, and delftware. In Spain and Mexico it is often called loza or talavera (after the Spanish ceramics center located in the town of Talavera de la Reina). Some scholars suspect the word mayólica is derived from Malíca, the historic name for Málaga, a Spanish town that produced early tin-glazed ceramics. Other scholars believe the term is related to Mallorca, the island from which these tin-glazed earthenwares were shipped throughout the Mediterranean world. Whatever its origin, the term mayólica describes a distinctly Spanish pottery, and indicates Spain’s prominent role in its artistic creation.
This type of mayólica earthenware was first introduced to Mexico by Spain. The first mayólica to arrive was hispano-moresque lusterware and the stylistic influence is still prevalent in many of the designs present in today production. Further stylistic developments matured in Mexico during the last century with the popularity of imported porcelain.
The rise of mayólica in Mexico paralleled the enormous wealth amassed by the nobility and the merchant class whose patronage was critical to the pursuit of excellence in all arts. This was a fertile artistic time throughout much of Mexico. As mobility increased with wealth, artist and artisans collaborated for the great cathedrals, municipal buildings and homes of the wealthy.
Most of the ceramic villages are located along the riverbanks where there are natural clay deposits and this clay makes the product special and of finer quality then other kind of ceramics. Casa Romero travels to the workshops of artisans located in Guerra, where some of the most highly skilled mayólica artisans reside.
Our goal at Casa Romero is to bring you the finest quality Mayólica, while allowing our highly skilled artisans to support themselves and their families. We work very closely with the artisans that create the mayólica for you. Each piece is carefully inspected for craftsmanship and quality before we agree to offer it to you.
