Majolica, Spaces Hunters & Gatherers August 2009

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Carrieras we discussedmajolica.She is now a collectorand dealer

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of this distinct pottery,and both her initial impressionand her eventual passionare common emotions for those knowledgeableabout these Victoriancreations Maiolicais a soft pottery with a colorful glaze.Originallydeveloped in the l3th century in Spain and exported to ltaly,the name was derived from the Spanishshipping port of Majorca By maiolica the lTth century,craftsmenin England were producingthe pieces as well. But the demand for majolicaskyrocketedafter Englishman Herbert Minton displayedhis waresat the CrystalPalaceExhibition in Londo n in 18 51 . Minton was in the right placeat the right time. Partof the appeal of maio lica is the in ten s ec olor ing Thos e c lev erSpania r d si n t h e Opposite and right, Just o /ew pieces /rom Linng Carrier's extensive mojolicocolleciion,which includesbegonio leo/plotes ond o whimsicolteopof.

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ry l3th century had solved the problem of the colorof the claymuddyingthe colorof the glaze.Theydevelopeda tin glazethat

baseof bunniesare all piecesthat makers like HerbertMinton,Wedgwoodand Ceorgelones producedto meet growing

huntsfor piecesthat are moreunusualwith

wasappliedto the piecefirst,and then the

demand.Theywentwild with designsthat reflectedthe advancesof their era; the

quickly.(l'm specificallynot telling you bowlwith aboutthe turquoiseshell-shaped

"You haveto be a very specialkihd of person to lovb maiolica .. . bec"ausg

piecesare chockedfull of references to the growingknowledgeof botany,zool-

the iauntybrown shell feet as it is now on wishlist.) my personal

ogy, horticulture and foreign cultures. The piecescrawland creepwith wildlife.

JoanneBrown is another dealer at MissionRoadwith some wonderfulmaiol-

Admittedly,it's not for everyone. that up until this time But do remember dinnerwarehadevolvedfrom pewterto pot-

ica pieces. Particularlyengagingare the five piecesof the CriffinSmith & Hill (an American firm) Etruscanalbino seaweed

it's ugly!" -Joanne

Broam, collector and dzaler

brighterglazecouldbe appliedon top producingvibranthues. I'm not surehow familiaryou are with Victorians,but they were a bit of a "more is more" society.More color, more pattern,moremore.In addition,the Industrial Revolution,greateraccessto India and other parts of Asia and, frankly,more

tea service.Thecreamy tery with creamglazesand blue-and-white and shell-patterned with the orangecoralbranches porcelain.Elegant.Lovely.Mostlycolorless. background is a classicchoiceand a currenttrend. Theelectricblues,glowinggreensand rich brownsof majolicaknockedthosegartered socksright off. this was common dinnerwareand servingpieces.Porcelainwas for the hoity toity, but majolicastill set one apartfromthe hoi polloi. If you like malolicathere'salmostnothingyoucan'thave.Colors,motifsandstyles Oneof the most areplentifulanddelightful. is the leafdish.WhenI asked classic choices why she startedher collectionof a friend leaf plates,her enthusiasticresponsewas "Thecolor!"And the deep,emeraldgreen of the begoniaand cabbageplatesis gor-

peoplewith more money resultingfrom

geousagainsttheirbackground of dark,rich paneling.While my friend bought her first

the riseof the middleclasswasexpanding the choicesfor food for the Victoriantable.

two piecesnearly20 yearsago,you could easily pull togethera lovelycollectionin

Whichexpandedthe opportunityto have thingsto put food on or in, and maiolica wasone of the mostpopularchoices.

town in a weekend.CarolDickeyhas a terof leafplatessurrounding rific arrangement

It's difficult to reconcilean image of dour Victoriansand the whimsy of maiolica.lt's somewhatlike Walt Disney

a gold-leafedmirror and brasssconcesat PearTree Interiorsand Antiques.She has two with sunflowermotifsin the mix, but if you wantedto stickto strictlyleaves,there

creatingdinnerware.Elaboratebeehive sardineboxestoppedwith butterkeepers,

wereseveralat MissionRoadAntiqueMall

pelicans,cabbagedishessurroundedby a

Linny Carrierand Nancy McGeehave two of the largerselectionsof maiolicaat Mission Road. Carrier has a particularly

whenI wasthere.

charmingwild-rosepitcherwith a creamy yellowbackground, accentsand cobalt-blue a faux-boishandle.A collectorherselfshe

58 I KANSASIJITY SPA(]['S

interestingcolorcombinationsand unusual shapes;these striking piecestend to sell

I didn't know if I would find maiolica at the RiverMarketAntiqueMall, but I did stumbleacrossa fewpieceshereand there. Leaf dishesand anotherdistinct design and blossomskept popwith strawberries

ry a lobboothfeatured pingup.A stunningdisplaypieceat RichHoffman's on a bed of sand. stersurroundedby oystershellsand greenseaweed point. is plentiful(don't While maiolica important Whichbringsup an out forgetit was madefor a massmarket)thereare manyreproductions glazes are generally Their pieces lighter, less dense. are there. Newer applied.Also,malolicahas an often lessintenseand can be unevenly pink, glazing blue,greenor occasionally is usually that under-surface white.Thisglazeshouldbe apparentundertherim; if it's not it is likely and All the dealersI talkedto assuredme that exposure a reproduction. will trainyoureye,but it is a good ideawhenbeginningyour research collectionto workwith a dealeryou knowand trust. As with all pottery,conditionaffectsvalueso be on the lookoutfor chips,cracksand repairs.Crazing(tinyweb-likecracksin the glaze)howeverareexpectedand not a detriment.And,all this beingsaid,eachdeala fewflawsif the piecewerecompelling. er told me storiesof overlooking Demandfor malolicais not as greatas it was in the '80s(a sort of periodall its own)so nowwouldbe a greattime to pick more-is-more up a pieceof two to enhanceyour home.If you can'tfind a spot for a monkeypitcher,surelyyouwouldenioya trio of syruppitchersmarching Thatwouldcertainlytakethe stingout of acrossthe kitchenwindowsill. <) washingthe dishes.