Majolica Sweetmeat Stand, Wedgwood, circa 1865

About the Item

A brightly coloured majolica sweetmeat dish in the form of a bucolic young man leaning on a basket. Minton majolica is a type of ceramic ware that was produced by the Minton pottery in the 19th century. It was created in response to the growing popularity of Italian Renaissance maiolica pottery, which featured colorful, highly decorated designs on a white or colored background. Minton majolica was made from a type of earthenware clay that was coated with a lead glaze and then decorated with brightly colored, highly detailed designs. The designs often featured naturalistic motifs, such as flowers, fruits, leaves, and animals, and were created using a combination of molds, hand-painting, and sgraffito techniques. One of the defining features of Minton majolica is its use of vivid, intense colors, such as bright greens, blues, yellows, and oranges. The colors were achieved through the use of specialized glazes and pigments, which were carefully applied to the pottery by skilled craftsmen. Minton majolica became immensely popular in the Mid-19th Century, and was highly sought after by collectors and consumers alike. The pottery was used to create a wide range of objects, including vases, plates, bowls, jugs, and figurines. Today, Minton majolica remains highly prized by collectors for its beauty, rarity, and historical significance. Many pieces of Minton majolica are on display in museums and private collections around the world, and the pottery continues to be produced today by the Minton company, using many of the same techniques and designs as the original pieces.

Creator:

Minton (Manufacturer)

Dimensions:

Height: 9.5 in (24.13 cm)Width: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)Depth: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)

Style:

Rococo (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Majolica,Molded

Place of Origin:

England

Period:

Mid-18th Century

Date of Manufacture:

circa 1865

Condition:

Seller Location:

Melbourne, AU

Reference Number:

Seller: 42161stDibs: LU3151333196852

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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.