Ceramics at the Hispanic Society

Inspired by a deep love for the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world, Hispanic Society founder Archer Milton Huntington (1870–1955) assembled a comprehensive collection celebrating Hispanic culture. Initially focused on archaeological artifacts and books, he expanded his scope to include paintings, decorative arts, and everyday objects. Huntington believed all artifacts—whether grand masterpieces or humble items for everyday use—were essential expressions of material culture. Together with crafts like woodwork, metalwork, glassmaking, and leatherwork, these objects captured the essence of the people’s character. Ceramics, which Huntington described as “creations of the hand and soul,” held a special place in his collection. One of humanity’s oldest industries, ceramics also represent a cornerstone of Iberia’s artistic traditions. Huntington amassed books, catalogs, and articles on the subject, often acquiring small objects as tools for study. He also supported research and publications, including The Industrial Arts in Spain by Juan Facundo Riaño y Montero—one of the first English-language studies of Hispanic ceramics from the 18th and 19th centuries. This era was marked by the founding of royal manufactories by King Carlos III of Spain (1716–1788)—Capodimonte in Naples (1743) and Buen Retiro in Madrid (1759)—key milestones in ceramic production. The Hispanic Society advanced scholarship in this field with its 1915 catalogue documenting 22 pieces from these factories, a subject rarely explored at the time. Additional contributions to ceramic studies include Edwin Atlee Barber’s Hispano-Moresque Pottery (1915) and publications on Mexican maiolica. Alice Wilson Frothingham (1902–1976), curator of ceramics and glass from 1925 to the 1970s, expanded this legacy with her pioneering research. The Hispanic Society’s ceramics collection spans millennia, beginning with Bell Beaker culture pottery dating back 4,000 years, as well as Roman ceramics. The Phoenicians (early settlers in the Iberian Peninsula) first introduced the potter’s wheel in the 9th century BCE, and Roman ceramic production flourished, driven by practical uses such as transporting olive oil and wine. Huntington himself enriched the collection through his archaeological work at Itálica, a Roman city near Seville founded in 206 BCE.

* Denotes works selected by Adriana Varejão in conjunction with the exhibition Adriana Varejão: Don’t Forget, We Come From the Tropics.

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Works on Display

Bowl | Cuenco
1500-1599
Tin-glazed earthenware with luster | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada
E644.

Plate | Plato
1425-1475
Glazed earthenware with luster | Loza de reflejo metálico
E549.

Bowl | Cuenco
Spain, 1575-1625
Glazed earthenware with luster | Loza de reflejo metálico
E685.

Bowl | Cuenco
Aragon, Spain, 1500-1525
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza esmaltada
E603.

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Plate | Plato
1400-1499
Glazed earthenware with luster | Loza de reflejo metálico
E590.

Plate | Plato
1400-1499
Glazed earthenware with luster | Loza de reflejo metálico
E589.

Plate | Plato
Catalonia, Spain, 1600-1625
Glazed earthenware with luster | Loza de reflejo metálico
E665.

Plate | Plato
Catalonia, Spain, 1575-1625
Glazed earthenware with luster | Loza de reflejo metálico
E640.

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Plate | Plato
1450-1499
Glazed earthenware with luster | Loza de reflejo metálico
E552

Plate | Plato
Spain, 1425-1475
Glazed earthenware with luster | Loza de reflejo metálico
E600

Plate | Plato*
Barcelona or Muel, Spain, ca. 1650–1699
Tin-glazed earthenware with luster overglaze | Loza vidriada con lustre
E638. Purchased by Archer Milton Huntington, from R. Stora, 1906

Plate | Plato
Barcelona, Spain, 1575-1625
Glazed earthenware with luster | Loza de reflejo metálico
E682

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Lusterware Dish | Plato de reflejo metálico*
Manises, Valencia, Spain, 1400-1430
Tin-glazed earthenware with cobalt and luster | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada con cobalto
E584.

Lusterware Deep Dish | Plato hondo de reflejo metálico*
Manises, Valencia, Spain, 1400-1430
Tin-glazed earthenware with cobalt and luster | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada con cobalto
E586.

Plate | Plato*
Manises, Valencia, Spain, ca. 1525–1560
Earthenware with luster overglaze | Loza de reflejo metálico
E668.

Plate with coat of arms of Neroni family | Plato con escudo heráldico de la Familia Neroni*
Manises, Valencia, Spain, ca. 1425–1466
Tin-glazed earthenware with cobalt and luster | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada con cobalto
E588.

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Dish | Plato
Valencia, Spain, 1600-1625
Earthenware with luster overglaze | Loza de reflejo metálico
E689.

Plate with a rider on a caparisoned horse | Plato con jinete montando un caballo enjaezado*
Valencia or Cataluña, Spain, ca. 1525–1575
Tin-glazed earthenware with cobalt and luster | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada con cobalto
E688.

Plato | Plato*
Talavera de la Reina or Puente del Arzobispo, Toledo, Spain, ca. 1600–1650
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada
E805.

Plate | Plato*
Aragón or Valencia, Spain, ca. 1525–1550
Earthenware with luster overglaze | Loza de reflejo metálico
E601.

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Dish | Plato*
Caldas da Rainha, Estremadura, Portugal, ca. 1860–1900
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada
LE2365.

Dish with mollusks | Plato con moluscos*
Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro (1846–1905)
Caldas da Rainha, Estremadura, Portugal, ca. 1889
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada
LE2120.

Jar with Mixtec Figures | Jarra con figuras Mixtecas
Enrique Luis Ventosa, ca. 1920-1922
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada
LE2213

Barrel | Barril
Puebla de los Angeles, Mexico, 1650-1700
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada
E990.

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Dish | Plato*
Manuel Cipriano Gomes “O Mafra” (1829–1905)
Caldas da Rainha, Estremadura, Portugal, ca. 1860–1900
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza esmaltada
LE1125.

Dish | Plato*
João Coelho Cézar (1876–1930)
Caldas da Rainha, Estremadura, Portugal, ca. 1860–1900
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza esmaltada
LE1126.

Plate with Jonah and the Whale | Plato con Jonás y la Ballena*
Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, Spain, 1600
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza esmaltada
LE2407.

Basin | Lebrillo*
Puebla de los Ángeles, Mexico, ca. 1700
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza esmaltada
E988.

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Plate with coat of arms of Tedali family | Plato con escudo heráldico de la familia Tedali*
Manises, Valencia, Spain, ca. 1435–1475
Tin-glazed earthenware with cobalt and luster | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada con cobalto
E569.

Plate | Plato*
Manises, Valencia, Spain, ca. 1435–1475
Tin-glazed earthenware with luster | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada
E551.

Jar | Jarro*
Puebla de los Ángeles, Mexico, ca. 1700
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza esmaltada
E993.

Jar | Jarro*
Puebla de los Ángeles, Mexico, ca. 1700
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza esmaltada
E986.

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Basin with coat of arms of Guasconi family of Firenze | Barreño con el escudo heráldico de la familia Guasconi de Florencia*
Manises, Valencia, Spain, ca. 1450–1470
Tin-glazed earthenware with cobalt and luster | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada con cobalto
E627.

Plate with coat of arms of Lorenzo di Mariotto Benvenuti | Plato con escudo heráldico de Lorenzo di Mariotto Benvenuti*
Manises, Valencia, Spain, ca. 1450–1470
Tin-glazed earthenware with cobalt and luster | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada con cobalto
E571.

Basin with the Monogram of Christ | Barreño con la monograma de Cristo
ca. 1450-1470
Tin-glazed earthenware with cobalt and luster | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada con cobalto
E619

Dish | Plato
1400-1499
E618.

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Apothecary jar | Albarello*
Manises, Valencia, Spain, ca. 1435–1475
Tin-glazed earthenware with cobalt and luster | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada con cobalto
E597.

Plate | Plato
Aragon, Spain, 1500-1599
Earthenware with luster | Loza de reflejo metálico
E623.

Plate | Plato
Spain, 1430-1470
Tin-glazed earthenware with cobalt and luster | Loza de reflejo metálico esmaltada con cobalto
E579.

Apothecary jar | Albarello*
Valencia, Spain, ca. 1435–1460
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza esmaltada
E558.

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Dish (Chinescos series) | Plato (Serie chinesca, o chinoiserie)
Real Fábrica de Cerámica de Alcora
Alcora (Castellón de la Plana), Spain, 1735–1760
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza vidriada esmaltada
LE1903.

Dish (Chinescos series) | Plato (Serie chinesca, o chinoiserie)*
Real Fábrica de Cerámica de Alcora
Alcora (Castellón de la Plana), Spain, 1735–1760
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza vidriada esmaltada
LE1906.

Apothecary Jar with arms of the Monestary of San Lorenzo at El Escorial | Albarello con escudo del monasterio de San Lorenzo del Escorial
Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, Spain, 1565-1590
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza vidriada esmaltada
LE2396.

Apothecary Jar (Barrel-shaped) with arms of the Monestary of San Lorenzo at El Escorial | Albarello (en forma de barril) con escudo del monasterio de San Lorenzo del Escorial
Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, Spain, 1565-1590
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza vidriada esmaltada
LE2397.

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Incense Burner or Candlestick Holder | Quemador de incienso o candelabro
Spain, 1700-1799
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza vidriada esmaltada
E813.

Incense Burner or Candlestick Holder | Quemador de incienso o candelabro
Spain, 1700-1799
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza vidriada esmaltada
E814.

Tile | Azulejo*
Puebla de los Ángeles, Mexico, ca. 1780–1800
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza vidriada esmaltada
LE2438.

Tile | Azulejo*
Puebla de los Ángeles, Mexico, ca. 1650–1750
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza vidriada esmaltada
LE2440.

Dish | Plato*
Puebla de los Ángeles, Mexico, ca. 1650–1750
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza esmaltada
LE2417.

Plate | Plato
Puebla de los Angeles, Mexico
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza esmaltada
LE2209

Sauceboat in the Form of a Dog | Salsera en forma de perro
Real Fábrica de Cerámica de Alcora
Alcora (Castellón de la Plana), Spain, 1780-1800
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza esmaltada
LE1941 A + B

Cruet set in the form of a Rooster and Hen | Juedo de aceitera y vinagrera en forma de gallo y gallina
Real Fábrica de Cerámica de Alcora
Alcora (Castellón de la Plana), Spain, 1784-1825
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza esmaltada
LE1942 A + B

Tureen in the Form of a Ram | Spera en forma de carnero
Real Fábrica de Cerámica de Alcora
Alcora (Castellón de la Plana), Spain, 1784-1800
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza esmaltada
LE1939

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Plate | Plato
Spain, 1600-1699
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza esmaltada
LE2235

Aquamanile in the form of a female beast | Aguamanil en forma de una bestia femenina*
Lisbon, Portugal, ca. 1625–1650
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza vidriada al estaño
LE2409. From the collection of Joao Maria Correia Ayres de Campos, 1st Count of Ameal
(Coimbra, 1847–1920). Museum Department purchase from Santos, London, October 26, 2015

Tobacco container in the form of a sea creature | Petaca en forma de criatura marina*
Real Fábrica de Cerámica de Alcora
Alcora (Castellón de la Plana), Spain, 1799
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza vidriada al estaño
LE1938. Museum Department Purchase, 1999

Paperweight in the form of a toad | Pisapapeles en forma de sapo*
Real Fábrica de Cerámica de Alcora
Alcora (Castellón de la Plana), Spain, 1799
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza vidriada al estaño
LE1945

Sculpture of a fish | Escultura de pez*
Tonalá, México, 1650
Black micaceous clay | Arcilla micácea negra
LE1970. Museum Department Purchase, 1999

Handled bowl with bird (búcaro de Indias) | Cuenco con asas, ave y decoración (búcaro de Indias)*
Tonalá, México, 1650
Black micaceous clay | Arcilla micácea negra
LE1966. Museum Department Purchase, 1999

Handled bowl with fish (búcaro de Indias) | Cuenco con asas, pez y decoración (búcaro de Indias)*
Tonalá, México, 1650
Black micaceous clay | Arcilla micácea negra
LE1967. Museum Department Purchase, 1999

Barber’s Basin | Bacía
Lisbon, Portugal, 1650-1675
Tin-glazed earthenware | Loza vidriada al estaño
LE2381