Plate of metallic reflections of the Clavellinas series. Manises, 18th century

Plate with metallic highlights from the Clavellinas series. Manises, 18th century.
Hand-painted lustre-painted ceramic.
It has some chipping.
Measurements: 7 cm (height) x 29 cm (diameter).
The Manises earthenware with the carnation decoration, which developed throughout the 18th century, is part of the Pardalot series which was still produced in the first third of the 18th century. In all of them, carnation flowers fill most of the surface of bowls and dishes. Their taste for small floral decoration is considered to be an Alcora influence, although Manises reinterprets it in a particular way.
Lustre-painted ceramics would be the great art of the Nasrid period, although it was born 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. This is glazed pottery, i.e. with a white glaze, 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.