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The Colorful History of Italian Majolica
The creativity and activism of Renaissance Italians is well
exemplified in the history of Majolica. During the Middle Ages,
Italians in the center of the peninsula where majolica would
eventually flourish, produced a rough pottery whose bold, schematic
designs often projected into relief.
This ware, now known as “archaic majolica”, had a transparent
lead-glaze that allowed the buff surface of the clay to show,
lending an admirable honesty and earthiness to ordinary items.
Nobody knows exactly when and where the potter's wheel originated.
It was used in Egypt, Persia, and Babylonia since very early times,
and pottery making was well advanced as early 3000 BC, as shown by
excavations in Egyptian tombs. Both useful and ornamental, these
clay objects have much to reveal about the lives of ancient peoples.
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DERUTA Collection
The Raffaellesco and Perugino patterns depicted in these
items are true Italian classics, and certainly the most
popular pattern from the Italian town of Deruta. The
Raffaello design trace its origins from the XVI Century
graceful arabesques of painter Raphael famous frescoes.
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PERUGINO Collection
The central motif of the Raffaellesco pattern is a stylized
dragon. Raphael, master painter and architect of the Italian
High Renaissance, reputedly first painted Raffaellesco (also
known as the Dragon), pattern.
Raffaellesco is a benevolent deity, bestowing good luck and
fair winds to the seagoing merchants of the era, (notice the
Puffs of wind steaming from the dragon’s mouth).
Raffaellesco and Perugino are the most popular and enduring
Deruta majolica patterns. |
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