Tin Glazed Faience:
A Trade Mark of the Nürnberger Factory
By George Felty

Tin glazed faience was a trade mark of the Nürnberger Factory in Nürnberg, Germany (1712-1840). Tin glazed is the process by which the material is covered with an opaque glaze that can have color added for a desired effect. For example, this Nürnberger Walzenkrug had a blue coloring added to the tin glaze. Fundamentally tin glaze is lead glaze which has been made opaque by the adding tin oxide. Tin glaze is applied to an already fired body. It is then re-fired at a lower temperature to ensure the pigments and glaze combined. In order to protect the glaze on the body an additional lead glaze was applied and then fired a third time.

An example of tin glaze faience is this mid 1700s Nürnberger Walzenkrug. On the body is a scene of John the Baptist holding a cup in his left hand and a staff with a cross top in his right. Jesus is seen standing while John is keeling on a ledge and pours water on Jesus’s head, thereby baptizing Jesus. Above the two can be seen a dove which represents the Holy Spirit. The staff in John’s right hand is a reference to the crucifixion. This scene takes place at Al-Maghtas in Jordan.

Reference:
Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum: State Museum of Archaeology: http://www.jefpat