Escudilla of ears. Manises, XVII-XVIII century.

Escudilla of ears. Manises, XVII-XVIII century.
Ceramic reflections.
Presents marks of use and wear; restorations and faults.
Measurements: 4 x 16 x 11,5 cm.

Manises ceramic bowl, hand painted and decorated with the luster technique. The metallic luster is a ceramic technique that has been manufactured in Manises since the 14th century. The first written references that we know of (1326) describe it as "opus aureum", that is, golden work. It enjoyed wide recognition in Europe, since the book of Fray Francesc Eiximenis Regiment de la Cosa Publica (1383), which glosses the wonders of Valencia, mentions: "But above all is the beauty of the work of Manises, gilded and painted in a masterly manner that has already enamored the whole world, so that the pope, the cardinals, and the princes of the world for their special grace request it and marvel that such excellent and noble work can be made from earth". Empirically, through the centuries-old Valencian experience, the obtaining of the metallic luster is based on three main factors: the use of a kiln that works in a reducing atmosphere, the composition of the pigment and the way of preparing it and finally the procedure used for its reduction firing. Over the centuries Manises has used tin opacified glazes or, later, glazes composed only of lead, silica and alumina and therefore obtained both golden and copper glazes in later times.