Dish; Manises, second half of the 19th century.

Plate; Manises, second half of the nineteenth century.
Glazed ceramic with metallic luster.
Measurements: 4 x 46 cm.
The ceramics of metallic luster will be the great art of the Nasrid period, although it was born in the Spain of the Almohad period, between the second half of the XII century and the first half of the XIII century. It is a technique of Persian origin, the first documents referring to it being found in the year 1066, although no examples prior to the 12th century have come down to us. 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 glaze 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. During the Nasrid period, between the 13th and 15th centuries, in the luster pieces we will see the entire ornamental repertoire of Hispano-Muslim ceramics, always with compositions that fill the entire space, with a certain "horror vacui" character.