Plate of metallic reflections of the Clavellinas series. Manises, XVIII century

Plate of metallic reflections of the Clavellinas series. Manises, XVIII century.
Ceramic hand painted metallic luster.
Presents some chipped.
Measurements: 7 cm (height) x 29 cm (diameter).
The Manises earthenware with the decoration of carnations, which develops throughout the eighteenth century, part of the Pardalot series still produced in the first third of the eighteenth century. In all of them, the flowers of carnations fill most of the surface of bowls and plates. Their taste for small floral decoration is considered an Alcora influence, although Manises reinterprets it in a particular way.
Lustre ceramics will be the great art of the Nasrid period, although it was born in Spain during the Almohad period, between the second half of the 12th century and the first half of the 13th century. In later times it will have special development in Manises, where the Hispano-Muslim tradition will continue in both the technical and decorative aspects. It is a glazed ceramic, that is to say, with a white enamel bath, very pure in the best examples, which is fired in the kiln. On it, once cold, it is decorated with a pigment composed of five basic ingredients: copper, silver, sulfur, almazarrón (iron oxide) and vinegar. The final tone will depend on the proportion of these components, resulting more golden if it has a greater amount of silver, and more reddish if copper predominates. Finally, the piece is fired a second time at 650ºC, in a reducing atmosphere, to fix the decoration. Once the piece is fired, the decoration is black, so it has to be burnished to obtain the final shiny metallic gold tone.