Ceramica Y Cultura The Story of Spanish and Mexican Mayolica

Brought to Spain in the thirteenth century by Islamic artisans, the enamelled earthenware known as mayólica is decorated with a lead glaze to which tin oxide is added to create an opaque white surface. By the fifteenth century, several areas in Spain were well known throughout Europe for the quality of these ceramics, and with Spain's expansion into the New World the mayólica tradition came into Mexico. There it underwent further changes, notably the use of indigenous design motifs and patterns inspired by Chinese porcelain. Over the next three centuries, the potters of New Spain produced ceramics characterised by a distinctive mestizo aesthetic. This tradition continues today in both Mexico and Spain. Assembled in connection with a major exhibition at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, this book moves discussion of mayólica beyond its stylistic merits in order to understand it in historic and cultural context.Gavin, Robin Farwell is the author of 'Ceramica Y Cultura The Story of Spanish and Mexican Mayolica', published 2003 under ISBN 9780826331014 and ISBN 0826331017.