faience

Faience is tin-glazed earthenware decorated with opaque colored enamels and fired under a transparent glaze. The white, glossy surface made possible bright, often polychrome decoration and a porcelain-like appearance on a relatively inexpensive ceramic body.

The term faience derives from the French faïence, with the best-known early wares associated with Faenza, Italy. In Italian, tin-glazed ware is called maiolica. In English, faience is used as a broad label for tin-glazed wares, while regional variants include Delftware from the Netherlands and Nevers ware from France, among others.

Tin glaze was developed in the Islamic world by the 9th–10th centuries as a way to whiten and brighten glazes. European adoption followed from the 13th century onward, with a flourishing Italian maiolica industry in the 15th–16th centuries centered at Faenza, Urbino, and Deruta. In Northern Europe, tin-glazed wares were produced in cities such as Delft, Nevers, and Rouen, often featuring blue on white or polychrome enamel decoration.

Technique and materials: the ware uses a porous earthenware body coated with a tin-oxide opacified lead glaze. Decoration is painted on the white tin glaze with metallic oxides and then fired again under a clear glaze. The result is a bright, durable surface that can mimic porcelain while remaining relatively affordable.

Legacy and usage: faience remains the general term for tin-glazed wares and is also used for a wide range of decorative ceramic objects and tiles. Subtypes reflect regional traditions rather than a single standardized process, illustrating a diverse European and Islamic heritage of tin-glazed pottery.