Maiolica Pottery: colourful, challenging and fun to make

January 2023 students have a Maiolica taster as one of their pottery projects

If you’ve traveled in southern Europe, you’ll have seen maiolica in tiles on the houses and dishes in souvenir shops. Dutch “blue Delft” is also maiolica. However, the technique was first developed by Islamic potters as a way to imitate Chinese porcelain. They loved it for the bright colours that they weren’t able to produce in their earthenware.  

I love it for the pillowy softness of the glaze and potential for spontaneous brushwork.

The essence of maiolica involves the use of a white opaque glaze on an earthenware body. What is special about the process is that the pigments – colouring stains and oxides – are applied to the unfired surface of the glaze. They become fused with the glaze in the final glaze firing. The whiteness of the glaze is like a canvas that provides a great ground for colour.

Maiolica Painting techniques

Maiolica class overview

1. Create a small slump mold tray from terracotta earthenware.
2. After bisque firing, dip it in the thick, creamy white glaze. This is tricky because the glaze is not at all forgiving. Fingerprints stay fingerprints and if the glaze is too thick, it may crawl.
3. AT HOME: Create design. Look in pattern books, online and read this post, for ideas. Consider the painting techniques and colours below. Have a plan – but don’t over plan! Leave some room for spontaneity when the brush is in your hand.
4. Paint. Maiolica stains can be painted like watercolour or single colours can be used to create vibrant borders and patterns. The design can first be drawn with a pencil onto the form. The pencil will burn out in the kiln.