Ceramic Restoration – Current Project

In 1851, a new type of Victorian pottery known as majolica was introduced at London's Crystal
Palace Exhibition – an international exposition of the day's “works of industry.” Potter Herbert
Minton had designed the pottery and his chemist, Leon Arnoux, had developed the process
that resulted in majolica's vibrant, lustrous glaze.

Majolica pieces reflected the Victorian interest in the natural sciences – botany, zoology,
entomology. Pieces were modeled in high relief, featuring butterflies and other insects, flowers
and leaves, fruit, shells, animals, and fish. Queen Victoria's delight with the new pottery helped
to seal its success with the general public.

In order to be considered majolica, a piece had to have produced by a certain method. Very
soft, porous earthenware pieces are fired at low temperatures to what's known as the “biscuit
stage.” The biscuit has a light yellow color which is covered by an opaque background enamel
made from a metal-oxide like tin or lead. When the background glaze has dried, the design
elements on the piece are painted with brightly colored metal-oxide glazes and the piece is fired
again. Read more at http://oror.essortment.com/majolicapottery_rurz.htm

Majolica restoration is similar to ceramic restoration and porcelain restoration. It requires gluing
and fusing the broken pieces, matching the color and pattern, airbrushing and glazing. This
beautiful majolica bowl had a clean break but a very complex design that had to be recreated.

This 16" Antique Staffordshire blue and white plate with great color and details ( c1830) was broken into 17 pieces. Many pieces and small fragments were missing and had to be sculpted. Similar to the majolica restoration below, this porcelain restoration involved gluing, sculpting, matching and replicating the pattern, airbrushing and glazing/lacquering.