POTTERY 



Italy. There can be no doubt that the produc- 

 tion of brilliant enamelled potter)' simultaneously 

 in the East and the West in Persia, Damascus, and 

 Khodes on the one side, and in the Spani-h i><'i> 

 insulii on the other, exercised a powerful influence 

 on the origin and progress of the same art in Italy. 

 Hut there, under the coiit-iii|M>runeon8 renaissance 

 of art generally, the decoration of the pottery 

 assumed a distinctively European character, and 

 it attained a much greater freedom, wealth, and 

 variety of decorative resource than was reached by 

 any of it* predecessors. The use of the fine white 

 enamel glaze yielded by tin is in Italy first 

 associated with the name of Luca della Kobbia 

 (1400-81), the great sculptor, who employed it in 

 coating his terra-eotta relief figures and groups, 

 works which are now among the most pri/ed 

 treasures of art. From his time onwards the 

 application of this tin enamel to earthenware be- 

 came common in Italy, and it is to such pottery 

 that the name Majolica properly belongs. One of 

 the most famous of the many artiste who produced 

 this ware was Giorgio Andreoli, commonly known 



Fig. 19. Deep DUli, by Giorgio. 



M Maestro Giorgio, who worked at Gubhio during 

 the first half of the 16th century. His pieces, 

 Gubbio ware, are distinguished by a remarkable 

 iridescence, Hashing ruby, golden, and opaline 

 Unto of marvellous brilliancy with every variation 

 of lij;bt. Among the most famous centres 6f 

 Majolica production in Italy liesides Culihio were 

 Pesaro, Urbino, Castel Dnrante, Dirtita, Faenza, 

 Forli, and Venice. The artistic value of the pro- 

 duct* declined with the waning of art in Italy in 

 the 17th century. 



France. From Italy the art of making enamelled 

 faience passed with 'Catharine de' Medici into 

 France, and the manufacture was established on 

 Italian model* in Nevers almnt 1590, and there it 

 flourished till the end of the 17th century. Hut 

 previous to that time the celebrated Barnard 

 Palissy in I.V>.">, after unheard-of exertions, had 

 .nde|iendcntlv discovered an enamel glaze, which 

 he applied to his characteristic rustic dishes, 

 embellished with exquisitely moulded figures, in 

 high relief, of lihes, reptiles, fruits, and other 

 figures. But while I'aliy was pursuing his in- 

 vestigations there was lieing pranHd in Franco 

 a limited numlx-r of specimens of a ware which 

 has become much more famous than the works of 

 any other pottery . ancient or modern. During the 

 last fifty years only attention ho* l>en prominently 

 drawn to* a few examples of pottery, very distinc- 



tive in form, exceedingly rich in decorative treat- 

 ment, and highly original in the method by which 

 it had lieen elaliorated. At first it was known n 

 Henri Deux ware, from many of the pieces con- 

 taining the cypher and emblems of Henry II. and 



Fig. 20. Palissy Dish, La belle Jardiniere. 



of Diana of Poitiers. Subsequently, owing to the 

 acceptance of a false theory of ils origin, it was 

 designated Oirin ware ; but, after much investiga- 

 tion and many suggestions, it has l>een discovered 

 that the pieces were made nt St Porchaire ( Deux- 

 Sevres) between 1525 and 1555. Henri Deux ware 

 consist s entirely of decorative pieces treated in an 

 architectural manner, the body of the ware living a 

 creamy pipeclay, with inlaid ornamentation in 

 colour, and beautifully modelled masks, trusses, 

 &c., and a transparent glaze. Only sixty-five 

 pieces are known, and when any now change 

 hands it is at an enormous price. In the Hamilton 



Fig. 21. Vase of Henry II. Ware. 



sale ( 1882) a small cup 4 inches high brought 1218, 

 and a salt-cellar 4 inches high was sold for 840. 

 At the Fountaine sale (1884) a candlestick 12J 

 inches high was disposed of for no less than 3675. 

 lliilliiiiil and Off-many. The celebrated en- 

 amelled faience of Holland owes its origin to the 

 attempts of the Dutch to imitate (he oriental tmr- 

 celain with which they were made familiar by their 

 eastern trade and connections. The manufacture 

 dates only from the 17th century, and from the fact, 

 that it was principally centred at Delft line |M>tteiy 

 came to be known generally in Britain as Delft 



