Spanish Majolica Plate off a shipwreck..

[Baba awarded]

Trying to locate some information on a plate found on a shipwreck. I have searched the Internet but haven't been able to locate any info on it..

 

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[Southern_Digger]

I am not sure of its nation of origin but the shape is similar to pieces I have dug and attempted to rebuild from a nineteenth century site here in Florida.

 

[Southern_Digger]

Void--dbl post deleted...

 

[PhipsFolly]

Majolica came to Europe from the Middle East through Moorish Spain and got its name from a Spanish town. Italian maiolica (or majolica) was named by the Italians after the Spanish town and port Majorca (spelled Mallorca in Spanish) from which Italy first imported the ware. The Spanish; who developed Majolica, made it to imitate Chinese porcelain but were faced with limitations. First, they were limited to darker clays native to the region and second, they were limited on fuel so could not fire to the higher temperatures that Chinese porcelain requires. They solved the problems by using a tin-glaze which was an opaque glaze to cover the darker clay body and create a white background on which work. They also discovered that the bright colors they desired required low firing and would burn out at higher temperatures. So... basically Maiolica is a type of low-fire ceramic earthenware covered with an opaque white tin glaze and decorated with colored pigments. Medieval potters discovered that a white tin based glaze was more stable in the firing process than transparent lead glaze and the white surface was ideal for elaborate painted decoration. This type of pottery is also known by the names: majolica, faience, delftware, and tin-glazed pottery.

Your find is clearly Spanish Majolica but to try and narrow down time period and maker would be very difficult unless it has a makers mark on the base which it doesn't look like there is one. Makers marks were used less often as larger numbers of majolica wears were produced. I have a similar Majolica Plate and it came from a 1650's period shipwreck of Spanish origin. You probably knew all of this info from looking online yourself... just thought i would put it out there in case you didn't...

 

[whydahdiver]

If you don't already have it, get a copy of Mitch Marken's book: " Pottery from Spanish Shipwrecks, 1500-1800". On page 232 you will see a picture of a plate that looks exactly like yours recovered from the Concepcion 1641. The type of ceramic is called San Juan Polychrome and much of it was produced in the New World. Most of the pottery found on the Concepcion is on display at the Museo de las Casas Reales in Santo Domingo.

Whydahdiver

 

[Southern_Digger]

Majolica came to Europe from the Middle East through Moorish Spain and got its name from a Spanish town. Italian maiolica (or majolica) was named by the Italians after the Spanish town and port Majorca (spelled Mallorca in Spanish) from which Italy first imported the ware. The Spanish; who developed Majolica, made it to imitate Chinese porcelain but were faced with limitations. First, they were limited to darker clays native to the region and second, they were limited on fuel so could not fire to the higher temperatures that Chinese porcelain requires. They solved the problems by using a tin-glaze which was an opaque glaze to cover the darker clay body and create a white background on which work. They also discovered that the bright colors they desired required low firing and would burn out at higher temperatures. So... basically Maiolica is a type of low-fire ceramic earthenware covered with an opaque white tin glaze and decorated with colored pigments. Medieval potters discovered that a white tin based glaze was more stable in the firing process than transparent lead glaze and the white surface was ideal for elaborate painted decoration. This type of pottery is also known by the names: majolica, faience, delftware, and tin-glazed pottery.

Your find is clearly Spanish Majolica but to try and narrow down time period and maker would be very difficult unless it has a makers mark on the base which it doesn't look like there is one. Makers marks were used less often as larger numbers of majolica wears were produced. I have a similar Majolica Plate and it came from a 1650's period shipwreck of Spanish origin. You probably knew all of this info from looking online yourself... just thought i would put it out there in case you didn't...

This information raises a question regarding the pieces I found at a site not far from St. Augustine. Although the site (landsite) was a 19th century settlement, there is now a possiblilty that it may have been occupied earlier. I did find a few pieces of pewter on the site too. I do know a mill site, located within a mile of the settlement did produce a few examples of colonial English and second occupation spanish artifacts. I will certainly re-address my research files regarding Colonial Florida to see if the settlement supported the mill during the 18th century too. Nice Artifact...