[JDavis]

I am wondering if it is possible to successfully apply maiolica on bone dry pots and fire once to cone 04. I am wanting to skip the bisque firing if possible. I have a computerized kiln so I can program a slow firing cycle with a controlled cooling cycle. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Marcia Selsor]

Lee Love said he does this recently on clay art.
However, firing majolica after a bisque was the whole reason bisque firing started.
Majolica was invented to impersonate proto-porcelain in the Persian empire about 9th-10 century after a huge battle
with the Chinese..late Tang Dynasty. The Persians had only a gritty low fire clay sometimes iron bearing. The court chemists developed the opaque white glaze
to cover the non-white clay. Bisque firing was introduced to keep the impurities of the raw clay body from contaminating the white glaze.
Today potters use bisque firing much more frequently than in the past.
-Marcia

[Marcia Selsor]

Marcia Selsor, on 04 August 2010 - 03:25 PM, said:

Lee Love said he does this recently on clay art.
However, firing majolica after a bisque was the whole reason bisque firing started.
Majolica was invented to impersonate proto-porcelain in the Persian empire about 9th-10 century after a huge battle
with the Chinese..late Tang Dynasty. The Persians had only a gritty low fire clay sometimes iron bearing. The court chemists developed the opaque white glaze
to cover the non-white clay. Bisque firing was introduced to keep the impurities of the raw clay body from contaminating the white glaze.
Today potters use bisque firing much more frequently than in the past.
-Marcia

PS if you try raw glazing, add 5% bentonite to the glaze.
Marcia