How to care for your majolica pottery
All Porches Pottery is hand made and hand-painted here in Portugal, tested to the highest standards, using the best quality materials, and made with utmost care by passionate, professional crafts people. If cared for properly, it will last forever, giving you and your family much enjoyment. We now see many pieces, some of them more than a half century old, appearing in auctions around the world in fine condition. At home, I use dinner plates from 1983 on a daily basis!
There are actually fascinating philospophies of design associated with this phenomenon in Far Eastern pottery traditions. There are several schools of technique, like "Ge Ware" and "Guan Ware" from China, and a famous Japanese pottery technique called "Raku" that you may well be aware of. In these schools, crazing is carefully and intentionally invoked with the aim of making brand new pottery feel natural and ancient, like something handed down through generations.
General advice
In general, our pottery is durable and functional enough to handle daily use. However, it is a hand made artisan creation so we advise you to avoid rough handling.Washing
All our pottery is dishwasher safe, with the obvious exception of our cork-backed items. Please make sure that the dishwasher is properly stacked, leaving some space between each piece, so that they do not knock against each other during the wash cycle.Storage
Not only is your Porches Pottery practical, it is also wonderfully decorative - even when not in use. We reccommend storing your pottery in a plate rack or on a dresser with good airflow. This allows the pieces to dry out fully and is the most aesthetically pleasing, not to mention hygienic, way to keep any crockery. If pieces are stacked in piles, it is possible that moisture will become trapped between them, and this can become unhygeinic. If you need to store the pottery for a long period of time, we recommend wiping it with a little vinegar first. After washing, avoid storing the pottery whilst still damp and make sure it is fully dry.Oven Use
Porches Pottery is not oven safe. Do not place the pottery in a hot oven and avoid any sudden changes of temperature as, in a worst case scenario, the pottery could crack. Never place the pottery over a flame or on a hob, it may crack. Slight 'crazing' can occur on the interior of a mug, due to the high temperatures of boiling water used to make tea or coffee, however this does not affect the functionality and is considered normal.Microwave
We don’t recommend microwave use. Majolica ware can become very hot in the microwave. There is also the possibility that microwave use could weaken the pottery.Crazing
Crazing, 'craquele','craquelure' and 'crackle' essentially all refer to the same thing, the appearance of fine lines in the surface of the glaze. This is a sought after aesthetic that is associated with a well-used and beloved pot. It adds an aged and natural appearence and is a feature of Majolica pottery. We use a carefully studied technique and scientifically tested combinations of clays and glazes to create the strongest and most durable pots possible within our traditional process. But all majolica pottery, like ours, seems to develop crazing over a long enough time period. If you have the chance to study Renaissance majolica (it is made almost exactly as ours is) in the museums of Europe, you will see crazing everywhere.There are actually fascinating philospophies of design associated with this phenomenon in Far Eastern pottery traditions. There are several schools of technique, like "Ge Ware" and "Guan Ware" from China, and a famous Japanese pottery technique called "Raku" that you may well be aware of. In these schools, crazing is carefully and intentionally invoked with the aim of making brand new pottery feel natural and ancient, like something handed down through generations.