Corindi Faience Pottery

Corindi faience pottery is a type of majolica pottery that originated in the town of Gran Lago in Corindia in the 16th century. It is characterized by its white base glaze, bright colors, intricate designs, and use of the plentiful and easy to access of clay that is found primarily in Eastern Corindia. The development of the style was driven by the demand for increasingly ornate vessels by prosperous merchants in Carmo and Gran Lago as well as the burgeoning demand for tiles in public and private construction projects. Despite a lull in production in the early 19th century during the Corindi Revolution workshops and artisans have continually produced the style, and many variants, for over 400 years. Today, Corindi faience pottery is recognized as a traditional Corindi craft by the Corindi government and is considered a crucial part of the nation's cultural heritage.

The tradition of majolica pottery was brought to Corindia by Spanish colonizers in the 16th century, where it was adapted to incorporate local themes and imagery. Corindi craftsmen incorporated conventional European tin-based glazes with local clay and design sensibilities to create a fusion between traditional Ipachi ceramics and Hispano-Moresque ware, with some later influence coming from Iznik pottery imported from Northern Africa. The combination of European glazes, geometric and floral patterns common in Islamic pottery, and traditional Ipachi forms resulted in a distinct tradition of ceramic wares.

The first step in making Corindi faience pottery is the extraction of earthenware clay that is found near Gran Lago. The clay is carefully cleaned, shaped into the desired form, and then coated with a white base glaze made from lead and tin oxides. These glazes usually would be shipped from Carmo. Once the glaze has dried, the pottery is painted by hand with brightly colored mineral pigments, often featuring traditional Corindi motifs such as flowers, animals, and geometric patterns. Fish and other aquatic life are common design elements due to the early interest in the pottery from Corindi citizens who commissioned elaborate scenes showing the contents of their nets.