Tin-glazed earthenware named for island east of Spain

Antiques & Collecting
  • Some antique art forms are still ongoing. Portugal has a long history of making majolica, but modern pieces, like this ruffled bowl from Alcobaca, are often inexpensive. Photo Credit: Nye & Company (c) 2025 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.
    Some antique art forms are still ongoing. Portugal has a long history of making majolica, but modern pieces, like this ruffled bowl from Alcobaca, are often inexpensive. Photo Credit: Nye & Company (c) 2025 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.
  • Tin-glazed earthenware named for island east of Spain
    Tin-glazed earthenware named for island east of Spain

    Majolica, the famous tin-glazed earthenware pottery, gets its name from Majorca (Mallorca), the Mediterranean island off the east coast of Spain. Tin-glazed pottery was brought to Spain by the Moors and spread to Italy as early as the 14th century, then to the rest of Europe. By the 1800s, majolica was a phenomenon in Europe. Potteries throughout the continent were making pieces with brilliantly c…