Faience: European Tin-Glazed Earthenware
Faience is tin-glazed earthenware produced across Europe from the Renaissance onward, named after the Italian city of Faenza, a major early production center. The tin oxide in the glaze creates an opaque white surface ideal for painted decoration, and faience encompasses a vast range of pottery traditions including French faience, Italian maiolica, German Fayence, and Scandinavian faience. The term is used broadly in the antiques market for any tin-glazed earthenware outside of the Dutch Delft tradition.
History and Development
- 15th-16th century: Italian maiolica flourishes in Faenza, Deruta, Gubbio, and Urbino
- 16th century: Technique spreads to France, Spain, and the Low Countries
- 17th-18th century: French faience achieves its highest expression at Rouen, Marseille, Strasbourg, Moustiers, and Nevers
- 18th century: German Fayence produced at Hanau, Frankfurt, Nuremberg, and other centers
- 18th-19th century: Scandinavian faience at Marieberg (Sweden), Rorstrand, and Danish factories
- 19th century: Decline as creamware and porcelain dominate; revival in art pottery movements
Major Production Centers
- France: Rouen (blue-and-white and polychrome), Moustiers (delicate grotesques), Marseille (naturalistic painting), Strasbourg (polychrome and trompe l'oeil)
- Italy: Deruta (lusterwares), Urbino (istoriato narrative painting), Faenza, Castelli
- Germany: Hanau, Frankfurt, Nuremberg (blue-and-white after Delft models)
- Spain: Talavera de la Reina, Manises (Hispano-Moresque lusterwares)
- Scandinavia: Marieberg, Rorstrand (Swedish), Store Kongensgade (Danish)
Identification Tips
- Tin glaze produces a distinctive opaque white surface that distinguishes faience from other earthenware
- The body beneath the glaze is typically a buff, pink, or red clay
- Factory marks vary enormously; many pieces are marked with initials, symbols, or full names
- French faience typically shows a warm, creamy white glaze with hand-painted decoration
- Italian maiolica often features narrative (istoriato) scenes with brilliant colors
- The glaze chips easily, revealing the clay body, which is a common identification aid
Auction Price Ranges
| Item Type | Typical Range | Premium Examples |
|---|---|---|
| French faience plate (18th c.) | $100 - $400 | Strasbourg or rare: $600 - $2,000 |
| Italian maiolica plate (16th-17th c.) | $500 - $3,000 | Istoriato: $5,000 - $50,000+ |
| French faience tureen | $200 - $800 | Animal form: $1,000 - $5,000 |
| German Fayence tankard | $200 - $800 | Dated or armorial: $1,000 - $3,000 |
| Rouen blue-and-white plate | $100 - $350 | Large charger: $500 - $1,500 |
| Strasbourg polychrome | $300 - $1,000 | Trompe l'oeil: $1,500 - $8,000 |
| Scandinavian faience | $100 - $500 | Marieberg: $500 - $2,000 |
Condition Factors
- Tin glaze is soft and chips easily; small edge chips are common and generally tolerated on early pieces
- Crazing in the glaze is expected on older pieces
- Hairline cracks reduce value but are common on large pieces like chargers and tureens
- Restored chips and cracks should be identified under UV light
- Polychrome decoration should be vivid; faded or rubbed decoration diminishes value
- Condition standards are more lenient for 16th-17th century pieces than for later production
Collecting Tips
- Italian istoriato maiolica with narrative scenes by identified painters represents the pinnacle of the category
- French faience from Strasbourg and Marseille, with their polychrome floral decoration, are the most actively collected French centers
- Trompe l'oeil pieces (vegetables, fruits, animals modeled in three dimensions) are spectacular and command premiums
- German Fayence with dated inscriptions or armorial decoration has strong scholarly interest
- Reproductions and later copies exist for all major centers; study glaze characteristics and painting style
- Faience pairs well with period furniture and is collected by both ceramics specialists and decorative arts generalists