Dish “Ierolima Bella”, Tin-Glazed Earthenware, Italy – Urbino, 1535 – 1545 c. CE
This style of portrait plate, Bella Donne or Coppe Amatories (love dishes) was very popular in 16th century Urbino, Italy. The plates were portraits of girlfriends or lovers and the names were placed with the words; bella, beautiful; diva, devine; unica, unique or sraziosa, charming. Often there would have been a few stock designs that potters would alter to suit a customers wishes. Majolica as a technique has its roots in 9th century Mesopotamia; potters used an opacified white glaze as over dark clay to emulate Chinese porcelain. The technology spread to northern Africa, Spain, then to Italy. Spanish ships carrying these brightly colored wares often stopped on the island of Majorca in the Mediterranean on their way to Italy. The name Majolica is thought be derived from markings on the ships. Tin was used as an opacifier in the majolica glazes and expensive colorants used in the decorating. The expensive materials used and skilled painting made majolica wares very expensive and desirable.

Decorating on majolica requires a very steady hand, there are ways to very delicately draw or plan your image on a piece. But once the brush hits the glaze you cannot go back, you marks are permanent. As well, the coloring oxides as they are painted on are often a different colour before they are fired and sometimes fade into the glaze all together. This makes for a very slow and meticulous procedure, because what you see before the glaze is fired is very different from after the glaze firing.

Dish “Ierolima Bella”, Tin-Glazed Earthenware, Italy – Urbino, 1535 – 1545 c. CE
This style of portrait plate, Bella Donne or Coppe Amatories (love dishes) was very popular in 16th century Urbino, Italy. The plates were portraits of girlfriends or lovers and the names were placed with the words; bella, beautiful; diva, devine; unica, unique or sraziosa, charming. Often there would have been a few stock designs that potters would alter to suit a customers wishes. Majolica as a technique has its roots in 9th century Mesopotamia; potters used an opacified white glaze as over dark clay to emulate Chinese porcelain. The technology spread to northern Africa, Spain, then to Italy. Spanish ships carrying these brightly colored wares often stopped on the island of Majorca in the Mediterranean on their way to Italy. The name Majolica is thought be derived from markings on the ships. Tin was used as an opacifier in the majolica glazes and expensive colorants used in the decorating. The expensive materials used and skilled painting made majolica wares very expensive and desirable.

Decorating on majolica requires a very steady hand, there are ways to very delicately draw or plan your image on a piece. But once the brush hits the glaze you cannot go back, you marks are permanent. As well, the coloring oxides as they are painted on are often a different colour before they are fired and sometimes fade into the glaze all together. This makes for a very slow and meticulous procedure, because what you see before the glaze is fired is very different from after the glaze firing.

Dish “Ierolima Bella”, Tin-Glazed Earthenware, Italy – Urbino, 1535 – 1545 c. CE
This style of portrait plate, Bella Donne or Coppe Amatories (love dishes) was very popular in 16th century Urbino, Italy. The plates were portraits of girlfriends or lovers and the names were placed with the words; bella, beautiful; diva, devine; unica, unique or sraziosa, charming. Often there would have been a few stock designs that potters would alter to suit a customers wishes. Majolica as a technique has its roots in 9th century Mesopotamia; potters used an opacified white glaze as over dark clay to emulate Chinese porcelain. The technology spread to northern Africa, Spain, then to Italy. Spanish ships carrying these brightly colored wares often stopped on the island of Majorca in the Mediterranean on their way to Italy. The name Majolica is thought be derived from markings on the ships. Tin was used as an opacifier in the majolica glazes and expensive colorants used in the decorating. The expensive materials used and skilled painting made majolica wares very expensive and desirable.

Decorating on majolica requires a very steady hand, there are ways to very delicately draw or plan your image on a piece. But once the brush hits the glaze you cannot go back, you marks are permanent. As well, the coloring oxides as they are painted on are often a different colour before they are fired and sometimes fade into the glaze all together. This makes for a very slow and meticulous procedure, because what you see before the glaze is fired is very different from after the glaze firing.

Dish “Ierolima Bella”, Tin-Glazed Earthenware, Italy – Urbino, 1535 – 1545 c. CE
This style of portrait plate, Bella Donne or Coppe Amatories (love dishes) was very popular in 16th century Urbino, Italy. The plates were portraits of girlfriends or lovers and the names were placed with the words; bella, beautiful; diva, devine; unica, unique or sraziosa, charming. Often there would have been a few stock designs that potters would alter to suit a customers wishes. Majolica as a technique has its roots in 9th century Mesopotamia; potters used an opacified white glaze as over dark clay to emulate Chinese porcelain. The technology spread to northern Africa, Spain, then to Italy. Spanish ships carrying these brightly colored wares often stopped on the island of Majorca in the Mediterranean on their way to Italy. The name Majolica is thought be derived from markings on the ships. Tin was used as an opacifier in the majolica glazes and expensive colorants used in the decorating. The expensive materials used and skilled painting made majolica wares very expensive and desirable.

Decorating on majolica requires a very steady hand, there are ways to very delicately draw or plan your image on a piece. But once the brush hits the glaze you cannot go back, you marks are permanent. As well, the coloring oxides as they are painted on are often a different colour before they are fired and sometimes fade into the glaze all together. This makes for a very slow and meticulous procedure, because what you see before the glaze is fired is very different from after the glaze firing.

Covered Jar, Earthenware, China, Han Dynasty, 206 BCE – 220 CE
This rare example of Chinese ceramic is from the Warring States period in Henan Province, Approx. 300 BC. Only four examples of this style and type of pottery and decoration exist today. Despite being a time of war, populations grew and became more urban and wealthy. As a result, Crafts people had a much more demanding clientele, so potters invested more time in decoration and experimented with colored glazes. This jar shape, considered to be inspired by a Shang Dynasty (1600 BC- 1100 BC) bronze vessel and its geometric decoration is taken from glass beads made during the Warring States Period. The technology pioneered in glazing these pots influenced future low temperature lead glazed wares.

This pot is in nearly every ceramic artists slide lecture I have seen. Each time it is pointed out how small it is in life, four inches tall, and what a commanding presence it has as an image. In re-making it and in my own work, I strived to capture what I was reading as a casually made pot- gritty clay and loose slip and glaze decoration. What was missing from my observation was that for 2300 years this object was buried. Time has softened it, erased information and changed it. The pot in the exhibition was thoroughly sandblasted; it began to take on more of the qualities of the pot in the image. It was a transformation I had never seen before. Through the exercise of trying to re-create this pot I realized that I wasn’t searching to make this pot as it looked 2300 years ago; I wanted to make a 2300-year-old artifact. This post firing softening, cold work, as an idea and technique will definitely carry over into my own work.

Covered Jar, Earthenware, China, Han Dynasty, 206 BCE – 220 CE
This rare example of Chinese ceramic is from the Warring States period in Henan Province, Approx. 300 BC. Only four examples of this style and type of pottery and decoration exist today. Despite being a time of war, populations grew and became more urban and wealthy. As a result, Crafts people had a much more demanding clientele, so potters invested more time in decoration and experimented with colored glazes. This jar shape, considered to be inspired by a Shang Dynasty (1600 BC- 1100 BC) bronze vessel and its geometric decoration is taken from glass beads made during the Warring States Period. The technology pioneered in glazing these pots influenced future low temperature lead glazed wares.

This pot is in nearly every ceramic artists slide lecture I have seen. Each time it is pointed out how small it is in life, four inches tall, and what a commanding presence it has as an image. In re-making it and in my own work, I strived to capture what I was reading as a casually made pot- gritty clay and loose slip and glaze decoration. What was missing from my observation was that for 2300 years this object was buried. Time has softened it, erased information and changed it. The pot in the exhibition was thoroughly sandblasted; it began to take on more of the qualities of the pot in the image. It was a transformation I had never seen before. Through the exercise of trying to re-create this pot I realized that I wasn’t searching to make this pot as it looked 2300 years ago; I wanted to make a 2300-year-old artifact. This post firing softening, cold work, as an idea and technique will definitely carry over into my own work.

Mug, Salt fired white stoneware with “scratch blue” decoration , Original: 14.4 cm h., Staffordshire, England, Original Artist: Thomas Cox, 1758 CE
This mug commemorates the alliance between Great Brittan and Prussia during the Sever Year War (1756-1753). Brittan’s superior navy and Prussia’s superior ground forces were thought to be no match for the alliances of France, Austria and Russia. The full inscription reads “This is Thomas Cox’s Cup: Come My Friend and Drink it Up: Good News is Come’n the Bells Do Ring: & Here’s a Health to Prussia’s King, February 16th 1758”.

Mugs such as this and Loving cups, two handled cups, were made as commemoratives gift for weddings, christenings and other important events. This tradition still continues today for potters and industry.

The decoration was first incised into the leather-hard clay with a sharp tool. A cobalt-rich slip was then brushed over the lines and wiped away, leaving slip in the incised lines; much like an inlay technique. This mug was salt fired, a technique developed in Germany as early as the 12th century. It was placed in a kiln without glaze and when the kiln reaches about 2200 degrees Fahrenheit, is salt introduced into the kiln and it immediately vaporizes. The sodium vapor combines with silica in the clay and forms a glaze on the surface. This technique of atmospheric firing is still popular today.

Mug, Salt fired white stoneware with “scratch blue” decoration, Original: 14.4 cm h., Staffordshire, England, Original Artist: Thomas Cox, 1758 CE
This mug commemorates the alliance between Great Brittan and Prussia during the Sever Year War (1756-1753). Brittan’s superior navy and Prussia’s superior ground forces were thought to be no match for the alliances of France, Austria and Russia. The full inscription reads “This is Thomas Cox’s Cup: Come My Friend and Drink it Up: Good News is Come’n the Bells Do Ring: & Here’s a Health to Prussia’s King, February 16th 1758”.

Mugs such as this and Loving cups, two handled cups, were made as commemoratives gift for weddings, christenings and other important events. This tradition still continues today for potters and industry.

The decoration was first incised into the leather-hard clay with a sharp tool. A cobalt-rich slip was then brushed over the lines and wiped away, leaving slip in the incised lines; much like an inlay technique. This mug was salt fired, a technique developed in Germany as early as the 12th century. It was placed in a kiln without glaze and when the kiln reaches about 2200 degrees Fahrenheit, is salt introduced into the kiln and it immediately vaporizes. The sodium vapor combines with silica in the clay and forms a glaze on the surface. This technique of atmospheric firing is still popular today.

Display Charger, Earthenware, Original: 45.8 cm. diam., Staffordshire, England, Original Artist: Thomas Toft, 17th c. CE
Toft slipware platters are famous for their confident throwing and decoration. Although many potters were working in a similar style in England, particularly in Staffordshire, but Thomas Toft is by far the most famous. Very little is known about his life, except that many of his pieces are dated around 1680-1689. The platter is wheel thrown and once leather hard a white slip is poured in and out and left to dry. The darker slips were applied with a tool much like an oil can, with a long spout; the only being that this has an air vent that with your thumb, control the slip pouring out. Historically these pieces were lead glazed giving it a rich, warm yellow color. The rim of this piece is warped likely from firing in an upright position. I created my warped rim in the same way only the colours did not run. The colorant in the dark slip is bleeding into the glaze and flowed towards the rim during firing.

It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to attempt a re-creation of this piece. I would often tour the Gardiner Museum and spend a great deal of time closely examining their Toft platter. It takes extreme control, especially making the hatch marks around the rim. Another treat was to see how much the white dots add depth and rhythm to the decoration. How simple and ingenious a solution that was. I did not use a lead glaze, a clear glaze tinted with 2% black iron oxide was a good substitute.

Display Charger, Earthenware, Original: 45.8 cm. diam., Staffordshire, England, Original Artist: Thomas ToftLate, 17th c. CE
Toft slipware platters are famous for their confident throwing and decoration. Although many potters were working in a similar style in England, particularly in Staffordshire, but Thomas Toft is by far the most famous. Very little is known about his life, except that many of his pieces are dated around 1680-1689. The platter is wheel thrown and once leather hard a white slip is poured in and out and left to dry. The darker slips were applied with a tool much like an oil can, with a long spout; the only being that this has an air vent that with your thumb, control the slip pouring out. Historically these pieces were lead glazed giving it a rich, warm yellow color. The rim of this piece is warped likely from firing in an upright position. I created my warped rim in the same way only the colours did not run. The colorant in the dark slip is bleeding into the glaze and flowed towards the rim during firing.

It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to attempt a re-creation of this piece. I would often tour the Gardiner Museum and spend a great deal of time closely examining their Toft platter. It takes extreme control, especially making the hatch marks around the rim. Another treat was to see how much the white dots add depth and rhythm to the decoration. How simple and ingenious a solution that was. I did not use a lead glaze, a clear glaze tinted with 2% black iron oxide was a good substitute.

Peacock Pattern Dish, Tin Glazed Earthenware, Faenza, Italy, 1470-1500 CE
The decoration on this plate is the peacock-feather motif commonly found on Faentine ceramics. It is unknown whether this piece was used at the dinner table or purely for display. The peacock-feather eye motif, mainly orange with cobalt blue, green and purple, was connected with political events as majolica-artists intended it to be a mark of homage to Galeotto Manfredo, Lord of Faenza whose mistresses name was Cassandra Pavoni 'pavone' meaning 'peacock'. This plate is made of thrown and trimmed earthenware. Glazed in majolica and decorated with cobalt, manganese, copper and stains.

Meiping Vase, Stoneware, slip, glaze, Cizhou-type Ware, China, Song Dynasty, 11th-12th c. CE
Cizhou-type ware refers to stoneware covered with white slip to give it a bright finish, then decoration is added with dark brown or black clay pigment with freely painted flower and foliage decoration. Details are added by scratching through the dark flowers to reveal a white line. Common Cizhou-type wares were forms such as wine jars, vases, bowls, and pillows.

Jordan McDonald began his ceramic training at the School of Crafts and Design, Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario. After Sheridan, he  opened a studio in Toronto and produced pottery there for two years. Currently he is studying ceramics at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Since returning to school his interests in utilitarian pottery has shifted, vessels are still a focus; this is a time of experimentation and growth. The luxury of time and the energy from working along side talented students has afforded Jordan to look at pottery in a new way. At Sheridan, He was the recipient of the Gardiner Museum Award, which included an exhibition at the museum; Best In Show at the Distill Gallery National Cup Competition; Anderson Ranch Arts Center Scholarships and others. He was also a founding member of the Toronto based design collective, VEST collective which was featured in I.D. Magazine's list of Top 40 Design Collectives in 2007 and won numerous awards.

To recreate a historical pot is not only an exercise in skill, but it also gives you a much more intimate perspective than reading about it in a book or even seeing it in a museum collection. There are things that I didn't really even realize I was taking for granted when looking at historical work until I made it or saw classmates making it. The scale, intricacy, skill and time involved in making these made it even more clear that these were very special objects. The project has also made me aware of how little time I give to my own work and to slow down be more considerate and sensitive when making. Another revelation is that after seeing the results of my re-creations fresh out of the kiln, they look very new and shiny. Time had gnawed away at some of my pieces, they were buried, dropped and have lived very long lives. Some considerable post-firing sandblasting was required to make some pieces like the original. It hit me that what I was after for so long was not the object as it was made thousands of years ago, but a thousand year old artifact. This idea and technique of post-firing cold-work will definitely change how I approach my fired, finished work in the future.