We are temporarily closed in accordance with the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health and the Government of Ontario. We are so grateful for the support of our community and look forward to welcoming you back as soon as possible.
Opening February 24, Shary Boyle: Outside the Palace of Me is a multi-sensory installation including drawings, ceramic sculpture, life-sized automatons, two-way mirrors, coin-operated sculpture, and an interactive score.
Join us online on February 1 at 1 pm for our annual Bell Lecture. Dr. Chih-En Chen, Lecturer of East Asian Art History at the University of Toronto, will discuss the little-known history of Qing trompe l'oeil porcelain. Get tickets!
Every object in our permanent collection can be accessed through our eMuseum portal. Learn about individual collecting areas, like Italian Maiolica or Modern and Contemporary Ceramics, or search the full collection by keyword. You'll be amazed by what you discover!
We need your support now more than ever! Help us continue to offer innovative and engaging exhibitions, programs, and community projects online, as well as plan for the future. Please consider making a donation today.
Lobby Display
With brilliant colours and bold modelling, majolica enlivened the Victorian home. A low-fired earthenware decorated with bright lead-based glazes, it was first introduced by Herbert Minton (1793-1858) at London’s Great Exhibition of 1851. It was an immediate success and a number of manufacturers soon joined in its production.
Victorian majolica was initially inspired by Renaissance ceramics, both in form and colour. Even the name ‘majolica’ alludes to a type of Renaissance pottery known as ‘maiolica.’ Soon producers embraced other popular styles, but nature remained a constant source of inspiration, reflecting the Victorian interest in botany and gardening. The new ware also brought fantasy and humour to ceramics, with objects ranging from whimsical tableware to garden furniture and sculpture.
Shell Flower Holders, England, Minton, 1870, Majolica (lead-glazed earthenware), On loan from the Rosalie Wise Sharp Collection