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COUNTRY GARDENS // FA LL 2019
attendees, and soon imitators and innovators
(including pottery designers from Wedgwood,
with U.S. entrepreneurs following suit) were busy
producing the colorful pieces for all levels of society.
By the height of majolica’s popularity in the 1880s,
more than 500 potteries in the United States alone
were churning out richly painted utilitarian pieces
to meet an insatiable demand. Unlike porcelain and
stoneware, majolica’s soft earthenware body and
brilliant lead glazes weren’t particularly durable or
always carefully applied. A mind-set to value form
over function meant that the pieces’ shapes were often
charming yet impractical, resulting in cracked handles
and broken lids. Still, majolica’s ubiquity made it
inexpensive and therefore accessible even in modest
homes, where it was lovingly put to practical use.
It is with these humble pieces that my heart lies.
Chips and imperfections speak to the joy the pieces
brought over a century ago, and they continue to bring
me joy today.
Seek out a local majolica dealer where
you can see, hold, and examine real
vintage pieces before you buy. Notice
clues that distinguish genuine vintage
majolica, including spontaneous and
vibrant blotches of glaze, the inconsistency
of painting from item to item, and the
relative heaviness of each piece (modern
reproduction pieces are often lighter). Thin,
spidery cracks in the glaze of a genuinely
old piece are impossible to fabricate in new
reproductions. Chips are common.
Most American-made pieces are
unmarked (without a manufacturer’s or
designer’s identification). Many potteries
did not mark their pieces so they could
undersell well-known companies such as
Wedgwood—markings on a piece are the
only sure way of identifying the maker.
Be wary of wildly inconsistent prices for
identical items as you shop. Hairline cracks
(aka crazing) and staining in the glaze are
age-related and should not dramatically
affect the price. Prices in general remain
very affordable; a dish decorated with
begonia leaf can cost as little as $45.
GATHER YOUR
OWN COLLECTION
Unmarked // probably American
Late 19th century
Unmarked // probably American
Late 19th century
A faux bois or barklike background was a common
motif in Victorian Era majolica. This pitcher, likely
from the United States, depicts the rugosa rose,
which had just been introduced to North America
in 1845.
This plate features a fern-and-floral motif on a basket-
weave background edged in a delicate trellis
pattern. It is unmarked, as were many mass-produced
English and American pieces in the late 19th century.
The collage of ferns behind is a mix of indoor and
outdoor varieties, including rabbit foot fern.
Rugosa rose
Fern & floral
9 ½"
9 "
PITCHER
PLATE
ABOVE Examples of marked majolica:
1 The impressed mark of Griffen, Smith and Hill pottery of
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. 2 The impressed mark of Josiah
Wedgwood and Sons, Burslem, England. 3 The impressed mark
of Edge, Malkin & Co., Burslem, England.
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2
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