Majolica

A ceramic product made from terracotta coated with tin glaze, and whose name is believed to originate from the island of Majorca in the Balearic Islands, which was at the center of trade with the Islamic Orient during the period of Iberian domination.

True maiolica is achieved when the bisque (already fired at 1300 degrees) is coated with a tin glaze, which is vitreous but opaque, a compound called “frit” and lime.

After this immersion and a brief drying, the piece is placed back in the kiln for a second firing that does not exceed 900 degrees. The decoration with fire-resistant colors occurs before this second firing, during which not only the glaze melts and fuses with the porous surface of the bisque, but the same happens with the colors, which fuse and blend with the glaze coating.