ANST - Terracotta Sculpture (long)

[Ace]

>"Nathan W. Jones" wrote:
>
>> David St.David wrote:
>> {snip}
>
>Gio,
>
{snip}

>What separated della Robbia was a new method of glazing.

  >Majolica, a lead based glaze at the time, was well know, but was
unpredictable in results and produced a >dull color and finish.  Sometime
around 1430, Luca della Robbia began substituting tin which gave
>predictable results and a high color finish.

My lord:

I enjoyed your post, but I must address the statement above.  While the
della Robbia family made great contributions to the enhancement of majolica,
a much richer history of majolica and\or tin glazed pottery exists:

In my opinion and research, majolica has its roots (and some would argue
beginnings) as far back as the ancient Middle East, and was propogated by
the Babylonians.  Ancient Egyptians were noted to make pottery of coarse
clay and cover it with an opaque tin-oxide glaze, which was later known in
Italy as Faience.  Molded pieces with lead glaze and lusterware fragments
have been noted in Hellinistic Greece.  Artisans of 9th Centruy Islam later
perfected the technique of tin-glzed ware.  Most notably, Samarrakind
pottery of the Abbasid caliphs (made between 836 adn 883) was some of the
most brilliantly colored pottery of this kind, and they employed this
technique.

During the 10th to 12th centuries, the Egyptian Fatimids and Iranian potters
guided an even higher standard of the production of lustreware.  The
technique transferred into Europe, where Spain and then Italy became chief
production centers.  By the 15th century, this technique was used to enhance
majolica.

I agree with your statement about not achieving predictable results, and
will add that precision is a problem (try painting with mundane Majolica
paints formulated to resemble period consistencies - really, really
difficult to achieve any precision - just ask Mistress Kalida!  The paint
likes to run, too.).  But as for a dull color and finish - I must cheerfully
disagree!  From the research I've done, Lusterware (and its predecessors and
relatives) is some of the most vibrant, colorful and balanced pottery there
is.  Bright greens, blues, blacks and browns....even purples!

Persian pottery is spectacular and regal.  There was so much cool stuff
going on during this period!  Come and see!!!

Aslyn





-----Original Message-----
From: D. R. Hoffpauir <env_drh at shsu.edu>
To: ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG <ansteorra at Ansteorra.ORG>
Date: Wednesday, May 19, 1999 2:54 PM
Subject: Re: ANST - Terracotta Sculpture


>"Nathan W. Jones" wrote:
>
>> David St.David wrote:
>> >    It's been just long enough since my Art History days
>> >to be foggy, but I recall there was just this sort of work
>> >shop in Florence in the 15th century.  Founded by Luca della
>> >Robbia, it specialized in religious terra-cotta bas-relief
>> >used as architectural decorative elements.
>>
>> [more great info snipped]
>>
>> Woohoo!  Thank you David!  This is exactly the type of reference
>> that I was hoping for!  Like I mentioned in my original email
>> I've found examples of representitive three dimensonal terracotta
>> sculpture in Antiquity, but have found scant references to it
>> in our period.  Especially in Medieval and Renaissance Europe.
>> I will throw myself in this thread of research with abandon!
>
>Gio,
>
>    I've looked into the della Robbia stuff some more. Gardener's 'Art
Through
>the Ages' credits Luca della Robbia with being first to mass produce terra
cotta
>sculpture in the Renaissance.  He is also credited with starting the
movement to
>'sweetness and lightness' in sculptural figures.  Gardener specifically
mentions
>Luca's works were done as a cheap alternative to marble and that they were
very
>popular.  della Robbia was not the only artist working in terra cotta.
>Donatello and many others to follow did as well.  What separated della
Robbia
>was a new method of glazing.
>
>    Majolica, a lead based glaze at the time, was well know, but was
>unpredictable in results and produced a dull color and finish.  Sometime
around
>1430, Luca della Robbia began substituting tin which gave predictable
results
>and a high color finish.  His success was not only in that he mass produced
>objects cheaply, he also made them colorful and attractive.  These works
were
>some of the first 'art objects' affordable to the middle class.  Following
della
>Robbia, Majolica glazes use tin oxide.  All sort of utilitarian ceramics
>(plates, bowls, salt cellars, ink wells) with non-religious decorative
elements
>are common trade items by 1500.
>
>    Other than the use of terra cotta as an architectural element, the
trail
>seems to stop (in period) before della Robbia.  If you find anything let me
>know.
>
>    ....I snipped the portion of my message that dives off into early
Italian
>Renaissance art and the notion of 'art for arts sake.'  If you are
interested
>let me know and I'll forward it.
>
>cheers,
>David St. David
>
>>
>> Gio
>> Northkeep
>> Ansteorra
>>
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