Pottery is one of the oldest decorative art forms, and Minton is one of its historical masters. For more than 250 years, the English company was a premier producer of porcelain and ceramic wares. Its factory was known for detailed and brightly colored Victorian tableware, including dinner plates and serving pieces.
Thomas Minton founded the Minton factory in 1793 in Stoke-upon-Trent, England. It initially made earthenware but introduced bone china in 1798. When Minton died in 1836, the company passed to his son, Herbert Minton. The younger Minton was a savvy businessman with an eye for design. He introduced glossy majolica earthenware to the factory’s repertoire and hired skilled artists and designers like Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin and Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, boosting the company’s reputation.
In 1851, Minton debuted its majolica at the Great Exhibition in London. It became a royal family favorite and was even used to tile the Royal Dairy at Windsor Home Park. Minton majolica was also displayed on the monumental Saint George and the dragon fountain at the 1862 London International Exhibition.
Colin Minton Campbell, a nephew of Herbert Minton, took over the family business in 1858. He led the company to the head of the 1870s English art pottery movement. In the 1890s, French porcelain artist Marc-Louis Solon helped modernize Minton with his Art Nouveau designs.
Minton ceased operating as an independent company when it merged with Royal Doulton Tableware Ltd. in 1968. It was the end of an era, but not the end of widespread appreciation for Minton ceramics.
In 1982, the ”English Majolica” exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum featured 75 Minton pieces. When the Metropolitan Museum of Art reopened its British Galleries in 2020, it included a display of three colorful Minton majolica bird sculptures. Minton pottery was also on display from September 2021 to January 2022, along with other English pottery, at the Bard Graduate Center’s ”Majolica Mania” exhibition.
On 1stDibs, find exquisite Minton serveware, decorative objects, wall decorations and more.
Minton Majolica Boy and Dolphin Salt
By Minton
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Minton Majolica salt which features a boy holding a shell, climbing over a dolphin. Colouration: grey, cobalt blue, blue, are predominant. This piece represents possibly an Infant Ne...
Majolica
$436Sale Price / set|20% Off
Antique Mintons and Boyle Spot and Wreath Cereal/Soup Bowls
By Minton
Located in Cincinnati, OH
Antique Minton and Boyle Spot and Wreath Cereal/Soup Bowls All marked on bottom, Spot & Wreath printed stamp. Each bowl has crazing front and back, consistent with age. See pics. N...
Porcelain
Rare Minton Majolica Figure with Baskets
By Minton
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Minton Majolica dish which features a young male vintager, sat between two baskets. Colouration: brown, green, yellow, are predominant. The piece bears ma...
Majolica
Porcelain Bowl with Fox Figure Sofina Boutique Kitzbuehel
By Sofina Boutique Kitzbühel
Located in Kitzbühel, Tirol
Completely handmade porcelain bowl with a hands-free naturalistic painted fox in brown colors. The fox is sitting in the middle of the bowl for decorating nuts or sweets around the fox figure...
Porcelain
19th Century Majolica Jardinière by Minton and Carlo Marochetti
By Minton
Located in London, GB
This exquisite jardinière was manufactured by the celebrated English company Minton, who are famous for their ceramics. It was designed by Baron Carlo Marochetti (1805-1867), an Italian-born sculptor who worked in London in the latter part of his career. His most famous work is the bronze sculpture of Richard the Lionheart...
Majolica
$238 / item
H 2.75 in Dm 6.06 in
Rock Handmade Pottery Cereal/Soup Bowls - Set of 2 - Black & White Splatterware
By OWO Ceramics
Located in Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, AR
Beautiful breakfast handmade ceramic bowls carefully crafted to meet the demands of everyday use. Designed to enrich your table setting and daily rituals, these handmade pottery bowls blur the line between functionality and ornament. Their size makes it perfect for serving cereals, fruits, snacks, soups or dips. Sold as a set of two, each pottery bowl is meticulously crafted by hand and coated in a matte glaze featuring hand-painted black splatters that evoke Pollock’s artistic work. Due to the handcrafted nature, each ceramic bowl is one-of-a-kind, and hand washing is recommended. Try combining them with our dipping and salad bowls from the Rock Collection to create your own unique handcrafted ceramic splatterware set...
Ceramic, Clay, Pottery
Set of 12 Ginori Lavender Rimmed Soup Bowls By Gio Ponti
By Gio Ponti, Richard Ginori
Located in Great Barrington, MA
This set of 12 Ginori soup bowls have a fresh modern feel though they date from 1920. Designed by Gio Ponti, the Art Deco/ neoclassical style is both architectural yet decorative. Th...
Huge Minton Majolica Vase
By Minton
Located in Litchfield, CT
Circa 1870, by Minton, England. A gorgeous example of English porcelain, this monumental vase is a Victorian Aesthetic movement tour de force. Majolica by Minton is known for its del...
Porcelain
English Victorian Majolica Chestnut Server Minton
By Minton
Located in Austin, TX
English Victorian Majolica chestnut server signed Minton.
Ceramic, Faience, Majolica
Majolica Oyster Plate by Minton 1876 Turquoise
By Minton
Located in Paris, FR
Majolica oyster plate by the English manufactory Minton. Lovely turquoise color with iridescent green tones on the middle of the plate. Decorated with refined shells, perfect to evok...
Majolica
Anglo-Japanese Majolica Jug by Minton
By Minton
Located in London, GB
Minton, an Anglo-Japanese Majolica jug, modelled with lily pads and flowers, on a Japanese wave ground, overall turquoise glazed, impressed marks, da...
Pottery
$439 / set
H 3 in W 8.5 in D 7.37 in
Limoges Antique Tressamane and Voght Bowls, Cups, Saucers, Salad Plates
By Limoges
Located in Lomita, CA
Beautiful antique pieces of Limoges china, elegant and near mint condition, can complete an existing set or complement an unrelated set of white china. Pattern is TRV087. This small collection of 17 pieces is exquisite. There are three cups with gold gilt handles (3.75" x 2.25") (saucer: 6"). Please note: One cup has a hairline crack. Delicately decorated white ware from a time when tasteful simplicity was the hallmark of a well dressed table...
Ceramic
Set of Vintage Franciscan Desert Rose Cereal Bowls
By Franciscan China 1
Located in New Orleans, LA
A vintage set of 12 Franciscan Desert Rose pattern, cereal bowls. Created in California circa 1950’s, 1960’s per the back stamps.
Ceramic
English Majolica Cherub Dish by Minton
By Minton
Located in Austin, TX
A fine Majolica serving platter or bowl by the celebrated English pottery firm, Minton. Featuring a design of a recumbent cherub or child clutching grapes upon a bed of grape leaves...
Ceramic, Earthenware, Pottery
$3,077 / set
H 3.15 in W 13.59 in D 11.03 in
Set of Five French Majolica Ceramic Snail Plates and Serving Platter
Located in Barcelona, ES
Serving set Snails design, Majolica, Glazed Ceramic, France, 1960s. One of a kind escargot cocktail appetizer serving set: comprised of 5 Majolica ceramic snail...
Majolica, Pottery, Ceramic
Sold
H 3.25 in Dm 6.75 in
Minton Porcelain Slop Bowl, Apricot Orange Ground, Gilt and Flowers, ca 1845
By Minton
Located in London, GB
This is a beautiful slop bowl made around 1845 by Minton. It is decorated with a beautiful apricot orange ground and rich gilding, and four finely printed and then hand-colored flowe...
Porcelain
Sold
H 5.5 in W 7 in D 5.5 in
Minton Majolica Pond Lily Basket Glazed in Green, Turquoise Lined, English, 1870
By Minton
Located in Banner Elk, NC
Naturalistically molded as a basket formed by green glazed lily pads, with lotus flowers and buds, the stems tied with red-glazed ribbon to form the handle, mounted on four feet of s...
Majolica
Twelve English Mintons Fine China Floral Garland Porcelain Dinner Plates
By Minton
Located in Big Flats, NY
A set 12 English Mintons fine China dinner plates feature rim with floral swag and stylized foliate border, central floral spray, en verso crown make...
Porcelain
English Minton Aesthetic Movement Majolica Frog and Mushroom Vide-Poche Bowl
By Minton
Located in Philadelphia, PA
From Minton, a wonderful and extremely scarce majolica glazed pedestal Vide-Poche bowl, in the Palissy style, dated 1867. From the Aesthetic period, the bowl, modeled as an inverted...
Earthenware
Mintons Majolica Oak and Basketweave Salad Bowl
By Minton
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Minton Majolica bowl which features leafy oak branches supporting a basketweave bowl. Coloration: yellow, turquoise, green, are predominant. The piece bears maker's marks for the Min...
Minton Punch Bowl with Christmas Colors
By Minton
Located in Katonah, NY
An early 19th century Minton punch bowl boldly painted with iron red starbursts on a green ground all highlighted with rich gilding. Inside the bowl is a broad border in the same pa...
Porcelain
A Minton Antique Porcelain Punch Bowl
By Minton
Located in Katonah, NY
A Minton Zoological punch bowl the exterior painted with a leopard, tiger and stag in monochrome on an orange landscape, the interior with a lion. Each animal is painted standing at ...
Porcelain