Like most people alive in the 1980s, we cannot conceive of the decade without the music of Prince. He and Michael Jackson dominated that decade musically with many of my fondest memories triggered by their songs. When I heard this afternoon that Prince had died the very first image that came to mind was driving down Sunset Boulevard for the first time in the summer of 1984 with "When Doves Cry" blaring on the speakers of my new car. It's though memory pictures like this that artists touch our lives and gain immortality through their art.
As I was thinking of a way of honoring Prince through the blog it became clear that purple wasn't a color that was used much as a main ground color in majolica. In fact I can't think of a single piece in which purple was used as the predominate color on a regular basis. There was plenty of lavender and mauve and lilac and violet and aubergine but no pure purple. So I decided to collect images of pieces I knew of in these variations of purple and use them in my small tribute to Prince.
The French probably used the color more than any other group with the Massier frères using variations of purple on their flower form pieces.
Massier majolica iris jardiniere
Massier majolica cabbage plate
Massier majolica clock
Massier majolica iris vase
Massier majolica orchid vase
The English used variations of purple often as a contrasting color. Minton, Brown-Westhead & Moore, and Copeland pieces often had purple and its variations used as an accent color. It was also a component of the Wedgwood Argenta glazed pieces.
Minton majolica oyster plate
  Minton majolica lotus jug  Wedgwood Argenta Ocean majolica seafood sauce boat  Wedgwood Argenta Ocean plate  Pair Minton majolica vases  Minton majolica garden seat  George Jones majolica Iris pitcher  Copeland majolica primrose jardiniere |
 Brown-Westhead Moore majolica grape pitcher  Brown-Westhead Moore majolica orchid vase  Majolica fox and grapes tray  Joseph Roth/London majolica sardine box |
It was used sometimes in Minton's tiles.
The Germans and Austrians used the color occasionally in their smoke themed wares.
Smoking fish majolica humidor
Austrian majolica pig humidor
It also appeared in its lavender and periwinkle variations in American majolica.
Etruscan majolica holy water font GSH majolica grape plate  GSH majolica fruit plate  GSH majolica maple plate  GSH majolica grape leaf plate |
So, with this cursory view of the color purple on majolica we say goodbye to a great musician who will always remain with us in some way: Prince.
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