Here's a little side-trip, slide show to the Spanish town of Manises....

Manises is located on the outskirts of the eastern port town of Valencia, Spain and has played a very important role in the historical development of majolica in Italy. In the very early renaissance days, the Italian nobility admired and commissioned majolica, lustreware from Manises and Paterna. Trade between the two European peninsulas had been going on for some time, but the highly coveted ceramic technique of majolica lustre had not yet been discovered in Italy. Many Italian potters, specifically those in Deruta, attempted to imitate the lustre, but the secrets of the process had not yet been revealed in Italian ceramics towns. Thus, the imported Hispano-Moresque lustreware was highly prized by the Italian courts.

Like many of the traditional ceramics towns in Italy (Deruta, Montelupo, Faenza), Manises is still an active productive town for ceramics and enjoys a healthy export trade to this day.

entrance to the muinicipal museum of Manises - emphasis on the ceramics production

note the sign is majolica painted tiles

Manises, plate, 15th century, blue & red luster

Manises (or Malaga), plate, end of the14th century, blue & red luster, typical Hispano-Moresque design

Large ovoidal jar with 4 handles. Manises (or Paterna), end of the 15th century

Leaving the museum, here's a walk around the town. Note how all the shop signs are majolica painted tiles. old unused ceramics shop

new ceramics shop

large, affluent ceramics production and retail shop

8" bowl, produced in Manises in current times, copying styles typical of the historical work

very common wall tiles seen on quite a lot of doorways in Manises

town maket area, note the elaborate majolica work

beautiful wall tiles, outside a private residence

business sign for the local eye doctor

business sign for the local photographer

contemporary majolica wall piece with Christian theme

stair tiles

majolica wall painting of a woman painting majolica - on the left side of the entrance to a Manises ceramics production business

seen on the right side of the above mentioned ceramics production business - a man stoking the kiln fire