majolica | Crazy4Me - The Modern Bombshell Lifestyle by: Yasmina Greco

Today was the annual Spring antique fair in the wine country town of Petaluma. The event is all out doors and features around 180 dealer booths and over 8,000 shoppers!! The fair has something for everyone from estate jewelry, furniture, linens, art, kitchenware, vintage décor, tin toys, Mid-Century Modern, books and a variety of collectibles. The weather called for rain and it sprinkled a bit but all in all the weather was really great; partly sunny, breezy, mid 60s.

We arrived a little after 9:30am and the fair already had a steady flow of shoppers. This is one of my favorite fairs as the dealers usually are friendly, negotiable on their prices and they offer to package up your goodies too.

Below are some pictures of the fair and pictures of the treasures we found. I couldn’t believe when I came upon the antique Majolica oyster plate or the PY Ucagco bluebird wall plaques, the pretty little vintage Christmas headvase, the adorable little boy vintage egg timer, the vintage Bradley pink sea horse wall plaques and even the little Art Deco Golliwog perfume bottle… wow! I still can’t believe my good fortune to find all these treasures!! My husband too scored some mint condition vintage cameras from a collector that has over 500 vintage cameras in his personal collection. I am so thankful to have a husband that enjoys antique fairs and antiquing in general with me as it is a great way to spend time together and really enjoy each other’s company!!

Majolica Collection

We hear from many folks interested in Majolica that are wanting to start a collection or add to a current collection; their questions range from “What is Majolica” to “Who Makes Majolica” to “Why is Majolica so Expensive” so we thought there just might be more folks out there with the same interest and questions and we hope this article will provide a bit of insight into this delightful collectibles arena for you.

What is Majolica?
Majolica is a tin or lead glazed earthenware ceramic formed with plaster of paris molds and kiln fired multiple times in various stages to create the deep and brilliant colors specific to Majolica. It’s these amazing colors and variety of whimsical shapes and forms that make this ceramic truly stand apart from other collectibles. Majolica was created by ceramist Herbert Minton in the mid 1800s and was first shown to the public at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. The Victorians adored Majolica.

Master Creators of Majolica

The types of Majolica that collectors seek does not always have an identifying mark or signature but most noted English creators are: Minton, Holdcroft and George Jones, and Wedgwood. The most recognized American name is Griffin, Smith and Hill, (Etruscan).

Many Majolica artists were inspired by nature when creating these treasures. Ocean themes of shells, fish, and oysters, farm animals, fruits and uniquely colored plants and leaves are some of the styles you will find Majolica formed into it. Majolica oyster plates, majolica sardine and cheese boxes, majolica asparagus plates and majolica asparagus platters etc..Truly amazing!

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