Lustre ware is another development of Islamic potters in Mesopotamia around the 9th century AD, originally based on glass decoration in Egypt around the 7th century AD. It gives a very attractive metallic sheen caused by metal oxide particles formed within the glaze surface. It is produced using a suspension of very finely powdered gold, silver, or copper, together with a refractory clay, with gum to bind the mixture together. It is applied to the previously fired and glazed object. On a further low-temperature firing in a reducing atmosphere high in carbon monoxide, an iridescent sheen is produced and the refractory material is just brushed off. Gold would give a metallic purple colour, silver a pale yellow and copper a range from yellow to brown.

Hispano Moresque Lustre Majolica -
courtesy Glade Antiques

Although it was difficult to get gold to stick on earthenware, some gilding was used in earlier times. The gold would be powdered and mixed with a medium to assist in application. In ancient times it was applied mixed with honey, and fired at around 600 degrees C. The medium burns off leaving the gold precipitated out ready for burnishing.

Reserved Plate Awaiting Painting -
courtesy Worcester Porcelain Museum

A “reserve” is an area on the pot that is left white while the surrounding areas are coloured as the “ground” (background). This is left for artists to paint motifs and scenes subsequently. The reserves can be achieved by masking them from the overall ground colour using a paper cut-out or resist, which can be as simple as sugar dissolved in water.

7.10 Craftsman Potters

Early on, many people would have produced basic earthenware pottery on an open fire and it was conventionally a task for women and children. Once the technology of clay preparation, wheels, kilns and glazing developed, the specialist craftsman potter became necessary to manage this technology, and this full-time job was taken over primarily by men. Some of these specialists would then spend time experimenting to improve their techniques and pass on developments to other specialists, causing continuous technological improvement. As society became more sophisticated and higher technology required greater skills, the potter’s job was split so that specialist craftsmen developed to make the pots and others to decorate them, and even narrower specialisations developed.