{"id":4496,"date":"2019-04-16T12:07:57","date_gmt":"2019-04-16T10:07:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/the-majolica-technique-from-faenza\/"},"modified":"2022-07-22T10:35:25","modified_gmt":"2022-07-22T08:35:25","slug":"the-majolica-technique-from-faenza","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/en\/the-majolica-technique-from-faenza\/","title":{"rendered":"The Majolica Technique from Faenza"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The majolica technique is very old and has been practised in Faenza since the Renaissance period. The methods and materials are basically the same of that time, so that <strong>every object made today carries with it centuries of tradition<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The technique can be summarized in these phases:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Manufacturing of the shape in clay and first firing to obtain the biscuit<\/li><li>Application of majolica (background white glaze) by immersion or sprinkling<\/li><li>Designing and making of <em>spolvero<\/em><\/li><li>Decoration by brush<\/li><li>Spraying of crystalline<\/li><li>Second firing <em>&#8220;a Gran Fuoco&#8221;<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Manufaturing of the shape and first firing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The land around Faenza is rich in <strong>clay,<\/strong> a material particularly malleable and suitable for creating very complex shapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The artefact in clay, threw on the wheel or made by a mold, is dried and then fired at 980\u00b0C to obtain<strong> the terracotta which we call <em>biscotto<\/em> (biscuit)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"643\" height=\"430\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/sponging-biscuit-pre-glazing-643x430.jpg\" alt=\"Sponging of ceramic biscuit before enamelling\" class=\"wp-image-3795\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/sponging-biscuit-pre-glazing-643x430.jpg 643w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/sponging-biscuit-pre-glazing-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/sponging-biscuit-pre-glazing-315x210.jpg 315w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/sponging-biscuit-pre-glazing-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/sponging-biscuit-pre-glazing.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 643px) 100vw, 643px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Application of majolica<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The peculiarity of the ceramics of Faenza is<strong> the majolica, a vitreous glaze<\/strong> that thanks to the presence of tin oxide, becomes very white and shiny with the high-temperature firing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The terracotta object is covered with majolica<\/strong> by immersion or sprinkling. At this stage the glazed object is very delicate because the surface is dusty and volatile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Designing and making of the \u201cspolvero\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The majolica technique of Faenza is characterized by the extreme precision of the decoration, and the richness of its designs. For this reason, \u201cfree-hand\u201d decoration is rarely performed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For most of the traditional decorations you need to prepare a<strong> <em>spolvero,<\/em> a trace to follow with the brush<\/strong>. The decorative pattern is drawn on transparent paper, and then pierced with a thin needle. This <em>spolvero<\/em>&nbsp;is accurately positioned on the glazed object and passed over with <strong>charcoal powder<\/strong> that leaves a trace that we can follow with the brush. The carbon residues disappear during cooking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Decoration by brush<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The colors used for decoration are oxides of metals or minerals, and are diluted with water. Some of these colors change with high temperature: the \u201cBlue Faenza\u201d, for example, is violet before firing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The strokes must be fresh, but very precise<\/strong>: it is almost impossible to correct mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"643\" height=\"430\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/brush-decoration-artistic-ceramics-643x430.jpg\" alt=\"Decoration with a brush of artistic ceramics\" class=\"wp-image-3799\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/brush-decoration-artistic-ceramics-643x430.jpg 643w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/brush-decoration-artistic-ceramics-180x120.jpg 180w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/brush-decoration-artistic-ceramics-315x210.jpg 315w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/brush-decoration-artistic-ceramics-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/brush-decoration-artistic-ceramics.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 643px) 100vw, 643px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The decorator accurately follows the track of choal and draws the contours with very fine brushes. After, he fills the colored areas, layer after layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A major difficulty is to understand the proper dilution of the colours and the correct thickness to be laid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Spraying of crystalline glaze<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The decorated object is coated by spraying with <strong>crystalline, a transparent glassy substance<\/strong> which melts during firing, resulting in the typical brightess of Faenza&#8217;s ceramics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"643\" height=\"482\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/spruzza-cristallina-ceramica-prima-di-infornare-643x482.jpg\" alt=\"The ceramist sprays the crystalline before baking the pottery\" class=\"wp-image-3796\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/spruzza-cristallina-ceramica-prima-di-infornare-643x482.jpg 643w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/spruzza-cristallina-ceramica-prima-di-infornare-180x135.jpg 180w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/spruzza-cristallina-ceramica-prima-di-infornare-315x236.jpg 315w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/spruzza-cristallina-ceramica-prima-di-infornare-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/spruzza-cristallina-ceramica-prima-di-infornare.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 643px) 100vw, 643px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Second firing \u201ca Gran Fuoco\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The kiln is carefully prepared: the glaze or the crystalline must not touch the walls or the base, otherwise the object would stick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Firing is at about 930\u00b0 C and the temperature has to increase and decrease very slowly. <strong>It takes about 12 hours to reach the temperature, and 12 hours to cool the kiln<\/strong> and be allowed to open it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"643\" height=\"482\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/pottery-kiln-after-cooking-643x482.jpg\" alt=\"The kiln after cooking the artistic ceramics\" class=\"wp-image-3793\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/pottery-kiln-after-cooking-643x482.jpg 643w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/pottery-kiln-after-cooking-180x135.jpg 180w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/pottery-kiln-after-cooking-315x236.jpg 315w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/pottery-kiln-after-cooking-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.lavecchiafaenza.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/pottery-kiln-after-cooking.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 643px) 100vw, 643px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A ceramic made \u200b\u200bin this way is a valuable and durable object<\/strong>: the decoration will remain bright forever, as evidenced by the ceramics on display at the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The majolica technique is very old and has been practised [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":4274,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-noImg.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.7 - 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