Majolica vs. Decorated Earthenware

Etruscan Venicine decorated earthenware cheese bell

There seems to be quite a bit of confusion between Victorian majolica and its close cousin decorated earthenware. On an average of at least once a week a scan of upcoming auction listings will identify a piece of decorated earthenware as majolica. So then, what’s the difference? It’s actually quite simple but you need to have a bit of understanding of the majolica manufacturing process to clarify it.

First of all, before I describe the manufacturing process, let me get one thing clear. I would like to eliminate the term ALBINO from the conversation entirely though it is nearly impossible because it is used pervasively. It is an unfortunate, offensive term that was coined in the early days of antique majolica classification. I have tried to explain this before but the term has taken hold and is used particularly by antique dealers to justify charging majolica level prices on items that are not majolica. This so-called “albino” majolica is simply white glazed earthenware. It uses an opaque white lead glaze to completely cover a piece of biscuit before it is fired. That’s all there is to it.

Etruscan Works Ivory Ware white earthenware jardiniere 

Victorian majolica is made from a piece of fired biscuit that is covered with an opaque white glaze, then decorated by hand in various colored glazes. It is then fired a second time (and sometimes even a third time) to melt the glaze and cause it to adhere to the biscuit body. This gives the glaze a hard, brittle, transparent quality similar to glass. Decorated earthenware skips the step where the body is covered with various colored glazes. In place of this, the white, fired, glazed piece is covered with enamels over the glaze. In some situations the enameled piece may be fired again at a much lower temperature to set the enamels but this is not always the case. The lack of the bonding of the color on the decorated piece of earthenware gives the color on the piece a vulnerability to damage that majolica does not have because in majolica the color is fused to the body, not applied over it.

Etruscan Majolica jardiniere

When looking at decorated earthenware rather than majolica it is common to see areas where use and wear have caused the enamels to flake off. This doesn’t happen with majolica glazed pieces. Also, the color of  enamel glazed pieces have no transparency to the color. It is opaque and often matte in finish. A good example is shown below in two examples from my previous post on “albino” majolica. 

George Jones decorated earthenware Primrose cheese bell.

George Jones majolica Primrose cheese bell.

The decorated earthenware cheese bell on top is beautifully decorated in applied enamels, yet there are areas where the enamel has flaked off from use. The cheese bell below it is majolica. There is no flaking of the color because it is part of the body of the piece.

The cheese bell at the beginning of this post is from the Etruscan Works Venecine line of decorated earthenware. Compare it to the Etruscan Majolica cheese bell below. They are both colorful but there is a significant difference in the look of the color on the two pieces.

Etruscan Majolica Fern cheese dome

The Venicine line from the Etruscan Works is frequently categorized as "Albino" majolica during sales. It is lovely but it is not majolica. It is decorated earthenware.

This Minton piece is being sold as “Albino” majolica. All it has in common

 with majolica is the earthenware body.

Minton majolica plaque

Other decorated earthenware is also identified as "Albino" majolica but it is not majolica because it does not have colored glaze fused to the body. It is applied over the glazed body. Another example is the two George Jones pitchers shown below.

George Jones enamel decorated earthenware Basket Jug

George Jones majolica Basket Jug

There are times when both processes will be combined on a single piece as in some continental majolica like the piece below in which the face and hands of the figure are painted in enamels while the rest of the piece is covered in majolica glazes. Note the flaking of the color on the figure’s face. This would still be considered majolica because of the presence of majolica glaze on the largest part of the body.

Continental majolica pin tray

I suppose there will always be confusion between the two from people who are not experienced or educated in the production of Victorian pottery but the point of this blog is education through information so the best we can hope for is reducing the confusion as best we can.