Dish; Manises, 18th century.Glazed ceramic with lustre decoration.The glaze is worn and cracked.

Dish; Manises, 18th century.
Glazed ceramic with lustre decoration.
The glaze is worn and cracked.
Measurements: 7.5 x 37 cm (diameter).
Ceramic plate with metallic lustre with a central lump, decorated with a large flower and surrounded by several bands of concentric circles that follow one after the other until they reach a larger one with synthetic vegetal ornamentation. The brim is decorated with the same design as the last band in the centre. The base also has motifs, in this case geometric ones, which are arranged in a rhythmic pattern throughout the piece. Lustre-painted ceramics would be the great art of the Nasrid period, although it originated in Almohad-era Spain between the second half of the 12th and the first half of the 13th century. In later times, it would develop particularly in Manises, where the Hispano-Muslim tradition would continue in both technical and decorative terms. It is a glazed ceramic, i.e. with a white glaze bath, very pure in the best examples, which is fired in the kiln. The cooled glaze is then decorated with a pigment composed of five basic ingredients: copper, silver, sulphur, almazarron (iron oxide) and vinegar. The final tone will depend on the proportion of these components, the more silver the more golden it is, and the more reddish it is if the copper predominates. Finally, the piece is fired for a second time at 650ºC in a reducing atmosphere to fix the decoration. Once the piece has been fired, the decoration is black in colour, so it has to be burnished to obtain the final shiny metallic gold tone.