Hispano-Moresque lustre dish
A dish from Valencia with gold-shimmering lustre, ordered by Italian families bearing their arms.
The technique came with the Moors from the Middle East and flourished at Manises in the 15th century. The dishes were exported all over Europe and were models for Italian maiolica. Examples are in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Instituto Valencia de Don Juan in Madrid.
Materials: Tin-glazed earthenware, cobalt and lustre
Manufacture: After a first firing, lustre of silver and copper salts was painted and reduced in a third firing to a metallic film.
The golden metallic sheen that changes as the dish is turned in the light.
A coat of arms in the centre and dense foliage round it.