MAJOLICA AND Spelled also It is generally claimed that the word was derived from the island of whence the first pieces of this ceramic ware were imported to Italy. The term majolica has become a very confused and in definite expression and used by writers with different meaning. The term, to its first ap plication, referred only to the early Italian lustre-ware made (15th century) with trans parent silicious glaze and outer surface of metallic sheen in imitation of the lustre-ware of Later, the early enamel-covered and color-decorated wares of Italy were called majolica regardless of metallic lustre and the lustre-ware having Oriental style of form and decorative treatment was termed mezea-majolica. But the term majolica has in modern times been vul garized into a broader definition by the public including practically everything in ceramics having glaze coating and painted decoration. Leading experts retain the more distinctive Lustre decoration consists of imparting a metallic or pearl-like (nacreous) sheen to the outer surface of the ceramic ware by coat ing over the already decorated and fired piece with a thin layer of a pigment containing either silver, etc., and then firing under moderate heat. The effects are very delicate and beautiful and are accord ing to the different sheens produced, as ruby (rubino), gold, silver, mother-of-pearl (madre perla), etc.
Mezza-Majolica.— The earliest production of this ware was in Persia and Turkey, but it is only in quite recent years that the actual fabriqttes have been located. To this Turkish ware belong he pieces heretofore labeled "Lindos" and "Rhodesian" ware from the loca tion of the sites where examples had been excavated. The actual sites of production now satisfactorily proven and dates of discovery of these prototypes of mezza-majolica are as fol lows: Rekka (1896), Sultanabad (1905), Rhages, quite recently. The ware_ formerly termed «Siculo-Arabian" is now said to have had its home in Syria or Egypt, and the so called «Rhodesian" ware in Osmanli-Turkey. The latter has most brilliant coloring (blue, grayish-black, green, etc., and, later, red) and ornamentation as well as most masterly tech nique in execution. At Fostat, in Lower Egypt, lustred and unlustred ware was pro duced before the 12th century. We find among the Persian examples cylindrical vases, pear shaped bottles, plates, tiles, bowls, mosque lamps, etc. In the Persian polychrome enamel decorated ware of the 17th century we find dark blue, green, red, black, turquoise, all on very white with typical Persian decoration turbaned heads, figures, etc.) Such 17th and 18th cen
tury ware was produced in northeast Persia, Kirman, Kashan, etc. Practically all this ware had its body coated (engobe). The Mohammedan tiles (known in Arabic as rojolos) were very beautiful and utilized in covering outside spaces of the mosques as well as the internal wells. Grand effects are those presented in the Blue Mosque, at Tabriz (15th and at Khoda Bende Khan shrine at Suitanieh century), etc. Spain produced glazed ware as early as the 8th century (mosque of Cordova has Through its Moorish artists Spain produced an industry doubtless derived from Oriental at an early Calatuyad having both domestic and export trade in the 12th cen tury. This same gold-lustre ware was pro duced in Malaga during the 14th century, and, by the end of the 15th century, Manises, near Valencia, was the centre for the gold-lustre ware retaining its pottery kilns to the present day. The yellowish tin-glaze on Spanish majolica covers both the inside and outside of Color is mostly cobalt blue, but show a sparse use of brown and The great Alhambra vase and pieces of a similar character belong to the 14th century and were produced in Granada. This art was continued by the Christians after the Moors were expelled, but it soon became decadent in merit. The Spanish colored glazed tiles (azulejos) had the centre of that industry, in the early period, in Seville, hut no appears to have been made In the Spanish decoration predominating motifs were plant life, Arab scripts, figures of animals and concentric circles. The frequent display of heraldic coats-of-arms shows Chris tian tendency later. The ware consisted mostly of dishes, basins, ewers, vases, apothecary pots (albarellos), etc. Talavera, in the 16th to 18th centuries, produced tin-enameled ware pro lifically. For some time, at least, Paterna, Quarte, Villelonga, Alaqua, Carcer, Moncada, etc., produced gold-lustre ware. The quality of the gold-lustre remained good into the 17th century though other ware became inferior long before. And the modern lustre shows coppery effect instead of the earlier pale gold tones. Alcora produced the best pieces. Sicil ian (Siculo-Arabian) mezza-majolica ware dates back to the 9th century.