19th century unmarked Majolica cheese & butter dishes

Majolica is a trade name first used in England by the Minton Pottery, and later by others including Wedgwood, Copeland, George Jones, and in Australia by John Campbell and Bendigo Pottery. A large quantity of majolica was also produced in England and Europe that is unmarked, or was made by minor manufacturers.

Majolica is an earthenware pottery decorated with a clear lead glaze and is characterised by vivid colour and a high gloss finish.

It was first introduced in England by Minton at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851 as "Palissy ware", named after the inventor, the 16th century French potter Bernard Palissy, (c 1510 - c 1589) and also another type of earthenware coloured by an opaque glaze, which it called "Majolica Ware", the name derived from the Italian maiolica ware. However over time the name "Palissy Ware" was dropped and the wares became known as "Majolica". To add more... to the confusion, the English pottery A.E. Jones and Sons, of Stoke-on-Trent, used the name "Palissy" for its majolica wares. less...