The fundamental importance of ceramic production in the context of the decorative arts is a testimony to the progress of mankind. It is told through an artisanal and artistic culture widespread in both large and small towns and throughout all eras.
Ceramics are divided based on the material that constitutes them into:
- porous paste ceramics: terracottas, majolica and earthenware;
- compact paste ceramics: stoneware, soft English or biscuit porcelain and hard or Chinese porcelain.
The fact that the objects were mostly hand-painted and bore a signature testifying to individual production make them more difficult to identify and date than, for example, metals where guilds implemented less ambiguous regulation.
With the advent of the industrial revolution there was an increase in demand for both ancient and “fashionable” artefacts and as an almost obvious consequence, many manufacturers satisfied the demand by producing copies that were in some cases decidedly deceptive. Some of these were born without a brand while in other cases the original brands were eliminated for the purpose of fraud.
Both porous and compact paste ceramics have particular characteristics, therefore modern technologies and the cross-referencing of data determined by the results of analyzes kept in archives nowadays allow us to date even the most controversial object.
