Antique Pickman China Sevilla Gran Medalla Tile, Circa 1878

This antique Pickman China Opaca Sevilla tile in near mint condition, no chips or cracks, several areas of lost glaze along the edge. This Pickman tile was made by Charles Pickman who founded a ceramic factory in Spain in 1841 .Charles Pickman ceramics won a gold medal award in Paris in 1878. This beautiful plate is characterized by intricate designs and the variety of glaze colors. The tile is mold stamped on the back "PICKMAN Ca CHINA OPACA SEVILLA, GRAN MEDALLA ORO PARIS 78", and measures 10 1/4 x 10 1/4 x 1 1/2 inches.
This tile exemplify the Islamic tradition in Spain, developed in North Africa as early as the 11th century. The earlier method of keeping brilliantly-colored glazes apart and unimpaired by running was mosaic work. This laborious process simplified by the Isa
lamic potters, who painted lines of manganese pigment, combined with a greasy substance that disappeared in the firing, between the enamels. The enamels remained heaped up along the dividing lines, and traditionanally this technique has been known as "cuerda seca" (dry cord).