late Gothic stoves, majolica, hard ceramics
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In the second half of the 15th century stoves were still built in the traditional tower shape of the earlier period: above the lower square block there was a polygonal or already often a cylindrical upper part. During this period stoves were decorated with richer architectural forms, and their vault were crowned by stove tiles with tracery, imitating the spire of towers. The tiles were usually covered with green, sometimes yellowish-brown lead glaze, or by white clay glazing (engobe), sometimes with red earth paint. At the end of the 15th century stoves with multicoloured tiles appeared, and became widespread during the 16th century. The various colours on these tiles were used according to the design on the tile. Renaissance tile motifs appeared only in the 1530s.
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majolica
Italian ceramics with lead glazing. The technique developed in the Ancient Near East and was transmitted to Spain by the Arabs, then the Italians learned it from the Spanish in the Middle Ages. The name majolica (Mallorca) also refers to this fact. After one of the most significant Italian production centres, Faenza, it is also called fayance. The essence of the technique is that the pottery was first dipped into white tin-glaze and fired, then painted with blue, green, lilac, brown, yellow, and red fire-resistant paint. Painting had to be done swiftly and without any corrections. When the painting was finished, the wares were fired on a high temperature (ca. 1000 Co). With this method exceptionally bright colours could be achieved. The majolica workshop of Buda imitated the Faenza technology and decorations. The northern Italian mezza majolica technique was quite similar, where the dish was covered with white clay glazing (engobe), then decorated by incised patterns (sgraffito). In the end a transparent lead glazing was added. This technique was used around 1500 in the Pécs workshop.
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hard ceramics
Also called stone ceramics. A type of earthenware made from especially clean material and fired at a very high temperature (ca. 1200-1300 Co). As hard ceramics did not absorb water, they did not have to be glazed. Because of the high firing temperature, however, they could not be painted either, and were therefore usually decorated with relief ornaments. With the help of salt scattered in the oven the pots were covered with a transparent, glassy glaze; other times a brown clay glazing was used, which contained iron. The most important workshops were found in the Rhine region. Their best known products are the grey goblets with salt glazing from Siegburg and the goblets with brown clay glazing from Dreihausen. The other big centre of production was Loštitze near Olomouc, Moravia, where purplish-brown goblets were made with salt glazing, a blistered surface, and small handles on the rim.
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