Faïence - Faenza. From Ancient Egypt to the contemporary age

The Civic Archaeological Museum of Bologna and the International Museum of Ceramics of Faenza, in collaboration with the Civic Museums of Ancient Art of Bologna and the Bottega Gatti of Faenza, are about to present a thematic approach to the semantic ambivalence of the word 'faience', starting with the siliceous faience of ancient Egypt, known as faïence, and continuing through the developments of this material in the Islamic world over the Renaissance results in majolica and contemporary art in the Faenza area. Sure enough, the word 'faïence' itself has a double meaning: it may refer both to the place-name Faenza, a town famous throughout the world for its ceramic production, and to a porous and coloured ceramic product. The latter can be clay- or silica-based (stone-paste) and may feature a transparent  or opaque  vitreous coating. Over the centuries, the variations of pastes and coatings have determined a great plurality of products, technological developments and areas of diffusion. The exhibition is curated by Daniela Picchi and Valentina Mazzotti.