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New collectors are sometimes confused by the difference between maiolica and majolica. Maiolica usually refers to tin-glazed Italian pottery made during the Renaissance, ie in the 16th and 16th centuries. Majolica, in contrast, was made by English potteries in the Victorian period. It is thought that maiolica originated in Moorish Spain and that it derives its name from the island of Mallorca, its English version is Marjorca. Maiolica's distinguishing characteristic is its glaze using a mixture tin oxide and lead. This gave a smooth, opaque and shiny white surface for further decoration before firing. When the technique was first introduced into Italy, it was used predominantly for items like jugs, pitchers and jars. At the beginning of the 15th century the colours for decoration was limited to a purplish-brown, obtained from manganese, and green from copper with blue from cobalt being added by about the middle of the century. By the beginning of the 16th century, though, a full palette of colours was available for decorating maiolica including lustre colours. During the 15th century, Florence was the leader in maiolica and its potters made great advances in techniques. Other important centres were in the 15th and 16th centuries were:
As maiolica increased in popularity together with improvements in techniques and decoration, the range of products expanded. Flatware was especially popular and large plates particularly lent themselves to displaying the beautiful and striking designs.
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