FAIENCE
FAIENCE
Glazed architectural ceramics are commonly referred to as faience after Faenza, a traditional centre of ceramic production in north Italy which was well known for its
white glazed vividly painted
pottery.
Towards the end of the 19th
century architectural faience
became very popular,
particularly in North America
where it was implemented as
cladding for steel frame
buildings. Throughout the 1930s faience was also used in Britain and Ireland, albeit to a lesser degree.
Faience is generally made from
white or cream coloured clay.
These clays can be fired at t
emperatures usually about
12000C which are higher than
the terracotta firing temperatures.
The beginning of vitrification in the clay body at this
temperature renders the
ceramic pieces harder, denser
and reduces their porosity to below 5%. The technical term for this type of high fired ceramics is “stoneware”,
indicating the structural qualities and strength of the material.
Due to the fact that historic glazes were lead-based, they are no longer permitted for health and safety reasons. Although historic glazes
can be analysed for their chemical composition, glazes using present day materials have to be specially developed for each conservation project. This process ensure that the
visual appearance of the historic pieces is emulated in the finished product. Glazes are usually formulated to fit the clay body without crazing (which can often be found in historic glazes). This enhances the strength, durability and
frost resistance of new faience pieces.
Our specialised glaze lab is equipped to develop glazes which are customised to suit the requirements of all projects: historic as well as contemporary.
