Majolica in the Movies: Charade

On Sunday afternoons I have a penchant for spending my time watching Turner Classic Movies while working on my computer. On this particular Sunday they were playing “Charade,” a movie I remember seeing in the theater when it was first released in 1965. I’ve always been a fan of both Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant so I’ve seen this movie numerous times. It is a suspense thriller often described as the best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never directed. It was directed instead by Stanley Donen.

The movie, which is set in France, follows a young widow whose husband is brutally murdered in the opening scene of the film. She soon discovers that he had been leading a double life and was murdered for $250,000 he supposedly had on him at the time of his murder. The problem is, the murderer could not find the money on the body so he goes after the man’s widow in search of it. Unfortunately she doesn’t know its whereabouts either. The bulk of the movie involves her evading a group of men looking to find the money and threatening to kill her if she doesn’t turn it over, The movie also stars Walter Matthau, James Coburn and George Kennedy.

Towards the climax of the film, Audrey Hepburn goes to visit an antiques dealer. As soon as she walks into the man’s office, a large, continental, majolica vase is visible sitting on the dealer’s shelf. 

It is a typical continental blackamoor vase, the type made by French and Austrian potteries towards the end of the 19th century. It is shown clearly in the background of the scene although there are no close-ups.

It is a piece that is instantly recognizable to me as I’ve seen it dozens of times over the years. It is part of a series of vases of Black children against tropical flora—always made as a boy and girl pair—that were potted in several different sizes. The detail on the large vases, which can reach 30”+ in height, is amazing. It is unfortunate that we cannot attribute these lovely pieces to a particular pottery.

Continental majolica vase

The matching pair to the vase shown in the above

photo taken from an auction listing.

It's a good movie full of twists, turns and red herrings with two old time movie stars the likes of which we will never see again.

To see more on collectible Black majolica memorabilia go here. To view the “Charade” trailer go here.

What is the Difference Between Majolica and Maiolica?

MAJOLICA or MAIOLICA ?

It’s very easy to confuse the two words. After all, in English there is only a difference of one letter, but the two pottery wares are very different. To boil it down to the most basic difference, maiolica is decoration applied to a tin oxide base while majolica is colored glaze applied to a lead oxide base. However there is a little bit more to it than that.

History

The different potteries come from a similar idea but from two different technical processes and two different traditions. The name for both derive from Majorca, a major shipping port in the Mediterranean during the 15th century that initially acted as distributor for this early brightly colored ware.

Maiolica: Renaissance maiolica is a pottery of intricate decorative drawing over an opaque tin base. The process originated in Spain and Majorca during the occupation of the Moors in Talavera de la Reina in Toledo in the 14th century but found its greatest success in Italy beginning in the middle of the 15th century, through workshops in Rome, Florence, Naples and Deruta. In time the process also found popularity in northern Europe as Delftware and France as Faience.

Spanish maiolica c. 1400

Maiolica, workshop of Giovanni Maria Vasaro c.1506

Delft tile 1640-70, Netherlands

French faience pilgrim bottle c. 1650

After the initial firing of the greenware, the body of the piece is dipped in a vat of tin oxide and allowed to dry. The tin oxide underglaze is a canvas for freehand drawing with colored oxides with various designs by talented painters. The subject varies by origin but is very broad with mythological figures dominating in Renaissance Italy, abstract designs, religious motifs and florals in Moorish Spain and figures and florals in France and the Netherlands

Italian maiolica apothecary jar c. 1431

Neapolitan maiolica albarello c.1490

Italian maiolica tondo c.1515

Italian maiolica albarello c.1515

Italian maiolica bowl c.1525

Workshop of the Fontana family ca. 1562–75

Maiolica, Delft and faience are still in production throughout the world with Italy, Spain, Portugal, Mexico and France the main producers and exporters.

Majolica: The process that gave us Victorian majolica originated from the same roots that formed maiolica but started with a distinctly unique interpretation of the Spanish ware by sculptor Luca della Robbia and his family in 15th century Italy. His use of opaque colored tin glazed terracotta on sculptures and deep reliefs to enhance with color glaze and create a more natural effect proved a sensation in Renaissance Italy and laid the groundwork for the work of potter Bernard Palissy.

Virgin and Child in Niche, Luca della Robbia c. 1465

Madonna and Child with Lilies, Luca della Robbia c. 1465

Giovanni della Robbia, Resurrection of Christ

Bernard Palissy, working in France during the 16th century, created the basic concept that gave birth to Victorian majolica. It is with him that the two diverge from both a technical and artistic viewpoint. 

Bernard Palissy

Instead of opaque tin glaze applied over a tin oxide ground, high lead transparent glazes were applied over a lead oxide base to color sculpturally composed earthenware pottery that imitated nature. Intricately detailed reproductions of plants and animals were laid against a natural ground to create a trompe-l’oeil effect to the delight of 16th century audiences. This he called Rustic Ware.

Bernard Palissy Rustic Ware plaque

Bernard Palissy Rustic Ware plaque

Bernard Palissy Rustic Ware plaque

Three hundred years later, 19th century English art director and ceramicist, Léon Arnoux who was employed by Minton, sought to imitate the work of both Renaissance Italy and Bernard Palissy for his employer. He copied the opaque tin glazes and intricate hand painting of the Italians. Simultaneously his research into Palissy’s Rustic Ware pottery led to the copying of the transparent glazes on a lead oxide base. Although his copies of the tin glazed Italian maiolica proved impractical for long term production at Minton, his imitations of the work of Palissy caught on like wildfire with the public. 

Léon Arnoux at Mintons

Catalog page from the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition 

showing Arnoux’s new Palissy ware

Originally called Palissy ware by Minton it was first displayed at the 1851 Crystal Palace Exposition. Eventually its popularity spread to other potteries throughout Europe—Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Sweden and Bohemia—as well as Australia, New Zealand, Russia and America under the English name “Majolica.” It remained a popular form for over 60 years before declining in the first quarter of the 20th century. Lead glazed majolica is no longer being made.

Minton majolica wine ewer

George Jones majolica drum teapot

Wedgwood majolica fruit plate

Sarreguemines Uncle Sam pitcher

Choisy-le-Roi majolica chicken vase

Onnaing majolica jardiniere

Dressler barbotine majolica rose vase

Wilhelm Schiller & Son majolica lotus jardiniere

Josef Strnact majolica jardiniere

Ignác Fischer majolica tray

Eichwald majolica baby coach vase

Milton Pottery majolica jardiniere

Eureka majolica bird and basket pitcher

Griffen, Smith & Co Shell platter

It is this Victorian pottery invented by Arnoux, based on Palissy’s work, that is now referred to as majolica and the focus of this blog. 

THAT is the difference between majolica and maiolica.